Sophia the robot wishes Egypt luck in World Cup, praises Mohamed Salah

Egypt's World Cup team may already have had the support of the country's millions of citizens, however the Pharoahs now have the backing of at least one non-human fan in Sophia the robot.

Sophia, a humanoid robot designed by a Hong Kong-based technology firm, wished Egypt's national team success in the competition while at Creative Industry Summit in Cairo.

Speaking to TV host Osama Kamal on Tuesday, she also praised Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah.

"He is a talented player, and is doing a great job," Sophia said.

Since her activation in 2015, Sophia has caught the world's attention due to the sophistication of the technology behind her, which allows for more than 50 facial expressions and past recollection.

In October 2017, Sophia became the first humanoid to be granted national citizenship when Saudi Arabia gave her a passport.

A month later, the United Nations named the humanoid as the UN Development Programme's first ever Innovation Champion. The move made Sophia the first ever non-human to receive an honour from the international body.

To demonstrate her skills to Tuesday's audience in Cairo, Sophia recalled a conversation with Kamal from the day before, mentioning the host's question about whether she smokes.

The humanoid, who is due to stay in Cairo until Wednesday, ended her session at the summit with the popular Egyptian chant "Tahya Masr" ["Long Live Egypt"].