The return of Mohamed Salah from injury could not prevent World Cup hosts Russia virtually sealing their place in the last 16 by beating Egypt 3-1 yesterday.
In the day's earlier matches, Japan became the first Asian team in World Cup history to defeat a South American side courtesy of a 2-1 win against 10-man Colombia in yesterday's Group H encounter before groupmates Senegal became the first African team to claim a win at this World Cup with a 2-1 triumph over Poland (See more in Star Sport).
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. 
An own goal by Egypt captain Ahmed Fathy opened the floodgates on a sodden night in Saint Petersburg before goals from Denis Cheryshev and Artem Dzyuba furthered Russian hopes they can defy pre-tournament expectations with a deep run into the latter stages.
Salah did net Egypt's first goal at a World Cup since 1990 from the penalty spot after he had been hauled down 17 minutes from time, but it was too little, too late for the Pharaohs.
Russia will be guaranteed a place in the last 16 and Egypt eliminated unless Saudi Arabia beat Uruguay on Wednesday.
Salah's presence in the starting line-up after sitting out Friday's 1-0 defeat to Uruguay due to a lingering injury provoked a feverish excitement from the thousands of Egyptian fans that poured into the 65,000-capacity Saint Petersburg stadium to almost even up the numbers in the stands with the hosts.
However, Salah looked far from the player who scored 44 goals in his debut season for Liverpool and former Chelsea left-back Yuri Zhirkov was not afraid to test his fitness with a series of robust challenges.
But Zhirkov's best piece of defending was a last-ditch tackle that prevented Salah a simple tap in at the back post.
It took 40 minutes for the Premier League's Golden Boot winner to have an attempt on goal as the ball fell kindly on the edge of the area, but even on his favoured left foot his effort curled beyond Igor Akinfeev's far post.
Shorn of Salah at his best and facing the hosts, Egypt had an uphill task as it was without gifting Russia the initiative as they did in calamitous fashion at the start of the second-half as Fathy threw an outstretched right leg towards an off-target shot and turned the ball into his own net.
Having got the bit of luck they needed, Russia brilliantly worked a second that was swept home by Cheryshev for his third goal of the World Cup from Mario Fernandes's cross, before Dzyuba made it 3-0 three minutes later.
The video assistant referee (VAR) proved its worth to give Egypt a glimmer of hope when referee Enrique Caceres had initially awarded a foul outside the box rather than a penalty when Salah was pulled by Zhirkov.
Salah smashed the 10th penalty of the tournament into the roof of the net, but it was little consolation as Russia took a huge step towards the knockout phase of a World Cup for the first time 32 years.
Leave your comments