Salah greeted with 'lezginka' dance in Russia

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. 

Roberto Martinez revealed that Romelu Lukaku is an injury doubt for Belgium's World Cup blockbuster tie against England after the in-form striker picked up an ankle injury on Saturday.

Lukaku and Eden Hazard both netted twice as the Red Devils routed Tunisia 5-2 to leave them top of Group G and on the verge of the last 16.

But the Manchester United forward came off in the second half at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow.

"We need to look at Lukaku's ankle. He took a knock and has to be assessed," said Martinez, who revealed man-of-the-match Eden Hazard also picked up an injury.

"Eden Hazard has a calf knock, Dries Mertens has an ankle problem. There will be major changes against England.

"If we could have seven days to prepare, I'd say we'd start with the same team, but the reality is that you are only as good as the 23 players."

Lukaku's absence would be a blow to Belgium's hopes against England, with top spot in the group likely to be at stake.

The United player already has four goals at Russia 2018 to leave him as joint top scorer alongside Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, there was some good news for Belgium boss Martinez, with Chelsea midfielder Hazard expected to be fit to face England in Kaliningrad on Thursday.

"I felt something in my calf in the first half but nothing big and I think I will be OK tomorrow," he said.

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.

One of the oldest villages in the Nile Delta has been discovered after archaeologists unearthed artefacts dating to the fifth millennium BC, Egypt's antiquities ministry has said.

Remains of the village were uncovered by a French-Egyptian team at Tel Samara, in northeastern Egypt, the ministry said Sunday.

Similar structures dating to the period between 4,200 BC and 2,900 BC "have never been found in that region," said Ayman Ashmawy, the ministry's antiquities chief.

The only similar discovery has been the village of Sais, in the Gharbia governorate north of Cairo, Ashmawi added.

Excavations of Tel Samara, in the Dakahlia governorate northeast of the capital, uncovered a number of silos containing numerous animal bones and vegetable residue.

Archaeologists, who had been working at the site since 2015, also found pottery and stone tools at the site according to the ministry statement.

The discoveries "confirm the presence of stable communities in the humid areas of the Delta from the fifth millenium BC," said Frederic Geyau, head of the Tel Samara mission.

The findings have offered "a unique occasion to learn more about the prehistoric communities which lived in the Delta" before the Pharaonic rule, he added.

It was the morning after the night before for Argentinian fans in Nizhny Novgorod on Friday and the recriminations from the devastating Croatia defeat just hours earlier were well underway.

The realisation that the 3-0 thumping by Croatia -- complete with comedy first goal -- had left the mighty two-time winners on the verge of a humiliating exit, left some of their fans in tears.

On Friday, many remained stunned by what had happened.

"We can't sleep, we can't talk, we can't do anything," said Sebastian, a 34-year-old lawyer who had travelled to Russia from Rosario.

"We've never seen anything like last night."

The team, he said, had shown no "huevos", using the Spanish slang for testicles.

Susi, a grandmother from Buenos Aires who spent an eye-watering $40,000 taking her son and grandson to Russia, said the result was so bad it could have implications for Argentina's president, Mauricio Macri, as he battles economic problems at home.

"If Argentina loses, it can become a social problem," she said.

The defeat was arguably the most shocking result of the tournament so far.

A team thought among the favourites for the World Cup, with superstar Lionel Messi as captain, were not expected to struggle through the first stage.

They certainly weren't expected to play so badly.

The result was Argentina's worst at a World Cup since being dismantled by Johan Cruyff's "Total Football" Dutch side 4-0 on a thundery night in West Germany back in 1974.

Nor were Argentina meant to rely on the results of Iceland or Nigeria just to remain in Russia.

With one point from two games, their fans were desperate for Nigeria to beat Iceland in Friday's game to retain hope of qualifying for the knockout stage.

"Today, all my country is Nigerian," joked Nicolas, 41, a company owner from Buenos Aires.

Fans of the "Albiceleste" could be spotted all around Nizhny on Friday.

Some were walking round town in kit, others with "Lio" shaved into their hair, and those draped in the country's flag, like Santiago, a student from the south of Argentina, as he prepared to head to Saint Petersburg for Argentina's crucial final Group D match on June 26.

Who was to blame? The embattled coach Jorge Sampaoli or the curiously listless players who have failed to produce, including the great Messi?

"I believe that the coach is not sure what he wants, or he is unable to pass this onto the players," said Santiago.

"But they also have to play, after all they are professionals."

- Down, but not out -

Despair though had turned to hope in the cold light of day, or at least the first signs that all was not lost

Cousins Juan and Valentino from Cordoba were about to embark on a 20-hour journey by train and plane via Moscow, Rome, Madrid and Buenos Aires to go home.

Their Russian odyssey was over but maybe not their team's.

Valentino complained that the Argentinian public and media put too much pressure on the side.

"The people think that the only way is to win the World Cup, they don't consider it a probability to lose," said Valentino, a 19-year-old student.

Juan called for as many as five changes in the team for the Nigeria game.

"We have a potential chance, it's time to support the team," said the 37-year-old accountant hopefully.

"We were in the same situation as we are now (when qualifying for the World Cup).

"We did it one time, so we can do it again."