Uruguay focused on first game against Egypt as team departs for Russia

Montevideo, June 10: Uruguay's captain Diego Godin said the players were focused on their first game against Egypt as the national team flew out from Montevideo for the FIFA World Cup in Russia, which kicks off on June 14.

Godin said the team was focused on their first challenge, which will be to beat an Egyptian team likely to be missing talisman Mohamed Salah, who is recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in the Champions League final last month against Real Madrid, reports Efe.

"Although we, like the whole of the Uruguayan people, are dreaming big, the main challenge facing us is winning the game against Egypt; this is what's most important to us and is what is on our minds", the Atletico Madrid man said.

Godin added that the team's "first main objective" was qualifying from the group stages.

Thousands of fans gathered at Carrasco international airport outside the Uruguayan capital to see off the players, something which Godin was thankful for.

"Emotion, pride, I am really thankful to them", the captain said. "I do not remember a sending off like this one, it's something really beautiful, it's something that we have built and generated ourselves, and we must make sure we continue to feed it every day".

Uruguay are in Group A alongside the hosts Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.