The Uruguayan selector, Oscar Washington Tabarez, praised Argentine coach Hector Cuper on Thursday and said that the match between the Celeste and the Egyptian team will be "very difficult" as it is the first for both teams in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Cuper, coach of Egypt since March 2015, is "very good, has a lot of prestige, and was chosen by UEFA as the best coach of the year in 2000," Tabarez said at a press conference after Uruguay's 3-0 victory over Uzbekistan on Thursday in a friendly match played in Montevideo.
"'We have had quite a bit of information about Egypt for a long time, we have been following them," added 'el Maestro'.
In addition, the Uruguayan selector singled out Mohamed Salah as Egypt's "star player."
As Tabarez explained, the first match of a World Cup comes with extra "pressure" and a "minimal margin of error."
The one in Russia will be the third consecutive World Cup for Tabarez's team, and according to the selector, this year Uruguay has a wider "range of possibilities" than in previous editions thanks to the renewal of players and the emergence of new players in the midfield.
The coach also expressed his thoughts on Thursday's match, with which the Celeste bid farewell to their fans before traveling to Russia to compete in the World Cup.
"The result of a friendly match has relative importance," he said. "The great conclusion of the match is that all the players ended up in good condition. The fact that everyone finished healthy is a circumstance. Some rival teams went a bit too far," he pointed out.
Uruguay, who will travel on Saturday on a FIFA charter flight, is in Group A with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Russia. EFE
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