SHOWS: CAIRO, EGYPT (JUNE 15, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.

SUPPORTERS WATCHING EGYPT VS URUGUAY WORLD CUP MATCH IN CAFE 2.

VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS WATCHING EGYPT VS URUGUAY WORLD CUP MATCH IN CAFE 3.

MAN SMOKING HOOKAH AND WATCHING MATCH 4.

MAN SMOKING HOOKAH AND WATCHING MATCH 5.

PRINT OF EGYPT FORWARD MOHAMED SALAH ON TSHIRT 6.

SUPPORTERS CLAPPING AND REACTING 7.

PEOPLE INSIDE CAFE REACTING TO URUGUAY SCORING WINNER 8.

MORE OF FANS WATCHING 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN SUPPORTER, SAEED ALI, SAYING: "Honestly, the national team's performance was very good despite the goal scored.

The team is good and play good football.

Even without Mohamed Salah the national team performed well.

All players are playing well and Trezeguet did well. (Goalkeeper Mohamed) ElShenawy played a good match and Abdalla Said.

God willing the coming games will be better." 10.

FANS REACTING TO CHANCES IN GAME 11.

MOHAMED SALAH LIVERPOOL JERSEY 12. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN SUPPORTER, MOHAMED GHANIEM, SAYING: "We did not risk Mohamed Salah with the injury.

The score is better than losing by a big margin.

We still have big hopes.

In the next two games all we want is four points to try and advance again." 13.

VARIOUS OF FANS WATCHING 14. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN SUPPORTER, MAHMOUD, SAYING: "There has to be better planning for the attack.

There has to be player movement.

I think our defence was good but the attacking movement was zero relative to all other teams.

We are not only going to defend." 15.

SUPPORTERS WATCHING MATCH STORY: Egyptian fans gathered around their television screens in homes and cafes across the country on Friday (June 15) as the soccer-mad country returned to the sport's biggest stage for the first time since 1990.

Uruguay's Jose Gimenez scored with a thunderous 89th-minute header to deal Egypt a 1-0 defeat in the Group A game, just as the North Africans appeared to have escaped with a point despite missing key striker Mohamed Salah.

Egypt came within minutes of surviving largely thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy, who bravely dived to snatch the ball from Luis Suarez' feet and flung himself through the air to tip a Edinson Cavani volley wide.

Cavani also hit the post as Uruguay gained in strength and purpose the longer the game progressed, seemingly buoyed by the realisation that Salah would not even make an appearance from the bench.

Egyptians felt optimistic despite the loss as they hope for better results against hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Speculation over the Liverpool striker, who injured his shoulder in the Champions League final against Real Madrid last month, had dominated the build-up to the match.

Egypt next play Russia in St Petersburg on Tuesday (June 19), giving Salah four more days to work on his fitness while Uruguay take on Saudi Arabia on Wednesday in Rostov.