Uruguay left it late, but managed to snatch all three points in their World Cup opener thanks to an 89th minute header from Jose Maria Gimenez.

There was no Mo Salah in the starting lineup for Egypt, and his replacement forward Marwan Mohsen struggled to influence the game.

A dour first half saw Egypt narrowly on top, with Uruguay getting off to a surprisingly slow start. Star Barcelona striker Luis Suarez had been absent except for one open goal miss, but he raced out of the blocks in the second half with a shot on target within a minute of kickoff.

After a quiet period in which neither side threatened much, Luis Suarez had another good chance 1 on 1 with the keeper but failed to shoot in time, electing to round the keeper and failing as Mohamed Elshenawy came forward and collected the ball.

Momentum then swung Egypt's way and they made their final change with 10 minutes to play, but it wasn't the man everyone wanted to see, with Salah left warming the pine.

After the final nail in the super sub Salah coffin, the game came to life, and Cavani hit a stunning volley from nowhere which forced another good save from an impressive Elshanawy.

Cavani was later fouled in 87th minute just outside the box. The PSG striker took the free kick and struck the post, before his teammate Sanchez got in the way of an opportunity for a rebound to cost his team a goal and sum up the afternoon for Uruguay.

With seconds ticking away, Sanchez was offered a chance to take a set piece in the 90th minute, and redeemed himself by teeing it up for Atletico Madrid centre half Gimenez to nod the ball home and steal all three points.

The image of a heart broken Mo Salah on the bench will sit in the mind of Egyptian fans for some time to come, and it remains to be seen how heavy a price they will pay for playing it safe and keeping their star man on ice, as they went down to Uruguay 1-0.

World Cup 2018 - Group A

Egypt: 0

Uruguay: 1 (Gimenez 89')

Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg - 27,015