Salah greeted with 'lezginka' dance in Russia

England coach Gareth Southgate was keeping his feet firmly on the ground after England's 6-1 World Cup group-stage rout of Panama, declaring "I didn't particularly like the performance".

With a grin Southgate explained to the BBC: "I'm being hyper-critical, but I didn't like the start, I didn't like the goal at the end. The bits in the middle were pretty good though!"

Southgate was speaking after a hat-trick from Harry Kane, a double from John Stones and another from Jesse Lingard saw off Panama and qualified England into the knockout stages.

As it stands England are level on goal difference with also-qualified Belgium but top the group by virtue of yellow cards -- two compared to the Belgians' three.

The countries meet in Kaliningrad on Thursday.

Asked about possible changes to his XI to face Belgium, Southgate commented: "I want to keep the momentum, we have to think about the team we want to put out, it's an opportunity for players who need a match who haven't played for a while but on the other hand we want to keep winning.

"It's a nice decision to have!"

Reflecting on a record World Cup win for England -- their previous best result was 3-0 -- he added: "I was a bit anxious at the start, they (Panama) had six at the back and three in middle, but once we worked that out I thought we played some really good stuff for 35 minutes.

Southgate's main gripe was his defence allowing Felipe Baloy to score Panama's first ever World Cup goal in the 78th minute.

"At half-time we talked about one more goal to be top of the group, that's why the goal at the end was disappointing," he said.

"We'd rather be in control of the group than not, and confidence wise it's important to score goals.

"It was a big moment for Lingard and great for the captain (Kane) to score a hat-trick, that way he didn't have the hump when I took him off!"

Injured Liverpool star Mohamed Salah defied his club and captained Egypt to a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory over Guinea in Cairo at the weekend, according to national coach Ehab Galal.

"Salah was hit by an injury, but played through it," said Galal following his debut after Portuguese Carlos Queiroz quit because he could not agree terms for a new contract.

Galal told a press conference that Salah rejected a Liverpool request to have a pre-match scan on the undisclosed injury, but "that will be done now".

Egypt face Ethiopia on Thursday in Malawi capital Lilongwe because their opponents do not have any international-standard stadiums.

Two-time African Footballer of the Year Salah has experienced two major disappointments with record seven-time Cup of Nations winners Egypt this year.

They lost the Cup of Nations final to Senegal on penalties in February and the following month fell to Senegal again in a shootout, this time in a 2022 World Cup play-off.

Saudi Arabia managed their first win at the 2018 World Cup by beating Egypt 2-1 with a last-gasp winner that eclipsed Egyptian talisman Mohamed Salah's 22nd minute goal in Monday's Group A game between the two eliminated teams.

Saudi Arabia finished third in the group standings, scoring their only goals of the tournament and vastly improving from the 5-0 thrashing by hosts Russia in their opening game.

It was a bitter disappointment for the Egyptian side, however, with Liverpool striker Salah unable to prevent three consecutive defeats for his country. Egyptian keeper Essam El-Hadary became the oldest player ever to appear at a World Cup at 45-years-old.

Saudi Arabia got back in the game with a penalty awarded just before halftime and Salman Al-Faraj scored from the spot. They then pulled off a win in the 95th minute thanks to Salem Al-Dawsari's angled shot. 

Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit their tour bus on Friday less than 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) from Egypt's world-famous Giza pyramids, authorities said.

The bombing is the first deadly attack against foreign tourists in Egypt for over a year and comes as the tourism sector, a vital source of foreign currency revenue, recovers from a sharp drop in visitor numbers since the country's 2011 uprising.

No immediate claim of responsibility was reported.

Islamist extremists, including militants linked to Islamic State, are active in Egypt and have targeted foreign visitors in the past.

At least nine Vietnamese tourists were injured, as well as the Egyptian driver, according to official statements.

The tourists were heading to a sound and light show at the pyramids, which they had visited earlier in the day, said Lan Le, 41, who was also aboard the bus but unhurt.

"We were going to the sound and light show and then suddenly we heard a bomb. It was terrible, people screaming," she told Reuters, speaking at Al Haram hospital, where the injured were taken. "I don't remember anything after."

Egypt's interior ministry said the bus was hit by an explosion from an improvised device hidden near a wall at around 1815 local time (1615 GMT).

About two hours later the vehicle could be seen behind a police cordon with one of its sides badly damaged and the windows blown out, a Reuters reporter said.

Dozens of police, military and firefighters were at the site, on a narrow sidestreet close to the ring road, where traffic was moving normally.

Shortly afterward, workers brought a pick-up truck to tow the bus away.

An investigator at the scene said the device had likely been planted near the wall.

The interior ministry confirmed the death of two of the tourists, and the state prosecutor's office later said a third had died. In total, 14 Vietnamese tourists had been travelling on the bus, it said.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told local TV from Al Haram hospital that the guide had died from his injuries.

"The bus deviated from the route secured by the security forces," Madbouly told Extra News channel, an assertion also made by the owner of the company that organised the bus tour.

"We have been in contact with the embassy of Vietnam to contain the impact of the incident, and what is important now is to take care of the injured," the prime minister said.

The bus driver later told local media he had not deviated from the route.

Egypt's army and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya.

The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the "Arab Spring" protests of 2011.

Those events and the bombing of a Russian airliner shortly after it took off from Sharm el Sheikh in 2015 caused tourist numbers to plunge.

The last deadly attack on foreign tourists in Egypt was in July 2017, when two Germans were stabbed to death in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

Veteran Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano insists relations between the players and coach Jorge Sampaoli are not strained after reports of unrest within the team camp.

Sampaoli was roundly criticised for his game plan following a 3-0 loss to Croatia in Argentina's second group game at the World Cup, sparking rumours the 58-year-old would be sacked during the tournament.

"The relationship with the coach is completely normal," Mascherano said ahead of the must-win match against Nigeria in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday.

"Obviously, when we feel uncomfortable about something we speak with him because if we didn't we would be hypocrites."

Argentina were on the brink of elimination after the Croatia mauling but victory against Nigeria would send them through as runners-up in Group D if leaders Croatia avoid defeat against Iceland.

"We know the situation is tricky," Mascherano said. "We have to be united, to express our opinions, and do everything possible so the team goes into the game in the best position."

Argentine Football Association (AFA) president Claudio Tapia has given his backing to Sampaoli after holding a meeting with the embattled coach on Friday, a team source revealed.

Franco Armani is tipped to replace Willy Caballero for the Nigeria clash after the Chelsea goalkeeper's blunder against Croatia, with Sampaoli also expected to ditch his three-match defence and return to a traditional back four.