A commanding performance from Mohamed Salah could see Egypt secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup with one group match still to play. The record seven-time African champions are set to face lowly Djibouti on Wednesday, knowing a win will give them an unassailable lead in Group A ahead of Burkina Faso.
For Salah, the match is more than just a qualification fixture—it’s an opportunity to bounce back from a disappointing start to his season with Liverpool. The Egyptian talisman, who has been a consistent performer for the Premier League side over the years, has netted only three goals in nine appearances across all competitions this season.
That’s a stark contrast to his performance last season, where Salah scored 29 goals in 38 league games, securing the Premier League Golden Boot and helping Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th league title.
Now, Salah hopes to reignite his form by leading his country to another World Cup appearance.
Salah Eyes More Goals Against Familiar Foe Djibouti
Salah has a strong history against Djibouti. In the opening round of the qualifiers two years ago, he scored four goals in a 6-0 thrashing in Cairo. He has since added three more goals in the qualifying campaign, bringing his total to seven, just one behind top scorer Denis Bouanga of Gabon.
Due to the lack of a FIFA-approved stadium in Djibouti, Wednesday’s match will take place in Casablanca, Morocco. The neutral venue adds further advantage to Egypt, who are overwhelming favorites given that Djibouti are ranked 158 places below them in the latest FIFA rankings.
Despite Salah’s modest start to the season, his teammates remain confident in his abilities. Mostafa Mohamed, who plays for Ligue 1 side Nantes and is also part of the Egypt squad, praised Salah’s character and influence.
“Mo is a big star, and we are lucky to have him in our team. He is the best player in the history of Egypt,” said Mostafa Mohamed in an interview with FIFA.
“He is amazing. For me, he has a great personality. I love him a lot. He is a wonderful player.”
Mostafa also scored in the previous clash against Djibouti and will be expected to play a key supporting role alongside Salah in attack.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal. Alongside Salah and Mostafa Mohamed, he can also call on Omar Marmoush, Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan, and Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed. With such firepower, it would be a major upset if Egypt failed to win.
Victory will see Egypt qualify for their fourth FIFA World Cup appearance, joining already-qualified North African rivals Morocco and Tunisia in the 2026 edition, set to be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Egypt aren’t the only team on the cusp of qualification. Algeria, Cape Verde, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Senegal also have the opportunity to book their tickets to North America, depending on results in their respective groups.
Algeria face Somalia in a match relocated to Oran due to security concerns in Mogadishu. With a 163-place gap in FIFA rankings, the Desert Foxes are clear favorites. Notably, the match will feature Luca Zidane, son of Zinedine Zidane, who has recently declared for Algeria.
Cape Verde, a nation of just over 500,000 people, could become the smallest African country ever to qualify for a World Cup if they win against Libya in Tripoli. If not, they’ll have a second chance when they host Eswatini in Group D.
Elsewhere, Ghana could secure top spot in Group I if they defeat the Central African Republic, provided Madagascar fail to beat the Comoros. Senegal and Ivory Coast also need wins and favorable results in other matches to secure their spots.
Failure to win their group doesn’t end World Cup hopes. The four best-ranked second-place finishers from across the African qualifying groups will enter CAF play-offs in November. The winners from those ties will advance to the intercontinental play-offs in March 2026, where final World Cup spots will be decided.
But for Salah and Egypt, the goal is clear—win against Djibouti, secure qualification early, and shift focus to preparing for the global stage.
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Source- EWN
