After Muslim prayers marked the first day of Eid El-Fitr, which concluded the holy month of Ramadan, tens of millions of Egyptians gathered in family houses, parks and cafes across the country to enjoy breaking their final fast with Eid cookies and hot drinks, waiting for a very unique event. The widely loved Egyptian national team are finally playing their first ever World Cup game in 28 years with high hopes of a miraculous performance carried on the shoulders of iconic hero Mohamed Salah, who is celebrating his 26th birtthday, and his teammates. The Pharaohs, who have been greatly praised by everyone from the country's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to its youngest Mo-fevered child, will clash with powerful South American side Uruguay in a game that will decide the competition of Group A, which also includes Russia and Saudi Arabia. The match, scheduled for 2pm Cairo time, almost an hour after the weekly masses Friday prayers, is expected to aired by the Qatari BeinSports among 22 matches they announced to air for free "as part of attempts to show good intentions towards Arab viewers,". The holders of the exclusive broadcasting rights of the MENA region stated Thursday they reached an agreement with FIFA following a long process of negotiations. The game is the second of the world's most prestigious tournament, following a thrilling opener in which hosts Russia defeated Saudi Arabia 5-0. In attendance was FIFA president Gianni Infantino sitting between the Russian president Vladimir Putin and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Bin Salman. Over in Egypt, the Pharaoh's fans divided into two main blocks: supporters of their “Arab brothers,” and those who wished the demise of the Saudi team in response to similar comments about Egypt from some Saudi fans. Most of the sarcastic post-match social media commentary has urged Egyptians not to celebrate too soon, lest the same fate befall their team in the Uruguay match. Egypt's politically and religiously-laden cheering is surely influenced by the recent years' political and financial situation in the region. The North African country is simply waiting for a miracle against the team of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. Despite offering odes of respect to Egypt, the numbers show the Uruguayans should be a challenge. Opposing them, the Egyptians are desperately praying for a miracle in coach Hector Cuper‘s defending tactics, which mainly use the exceptional skills of Mo Salah in counter attacks. After delivering the best football season ever played by an Egyptian player - gaining all English Premier League individual trophies - unfortunately, the world-class winger is not in his best shape, having injured his shoulder in the UEFA Champions League final in Kiev last month thanks the unforgivable tackle by Real Madrid's Spanish defender Sergio Ramos which severely hurt Salah's shoulder. In the group's bottle-neck showdown, even a draw could be enough reason for Egyptians to celebrate and raise their hopes. All are counting on the Egyptian collective fighting spirit of a team whose main weapon is enthusiasm. Could 15 June 2018 witness the Pharaohs kneeling in prayer to celebrate the breaking of the curse of the Magdy Abdelghany's 1990 World Cup penalty kick? The coming Eid hours will reveal.Read the full match preview here and follow Ahram Online's exceptional minute-by-minute coverage here. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
