With two goals from Salah and one from Adel, Egypt secures its spot, becoming the third African nation after Morocco and Tunisia to qualify.
Published On 8 Oct 2025
Egypt has officially secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a commanding 3-0 victory against Djibouti in Casablanca. This win guarantees them the top spot in Group A, even with one match still to play.
The Pharaohs’ triumph was powered by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who netted twice, alongside a goal from Ibrahim Adel. This achievement marks Egypt as the third African nation, after Morocco and Tunisia, to confirm qualification for the upcoming tournament in North America.
Throughout the extensive qualification journey spanning two years, Salah has been prolific, tallying nine goals for his country.
Historically, Egypt has participated in three World Cups but missed out on the 2022 event in Qatar, where Morocco made headlines by reaching the semifinals and Tunisia exited during the group phase.
In other African qualifiers, Ghana delivered a dominant 5-0 win over the Central African Republic in Meknes, with midfielder Thomas Partey among the scorers. The Black Stars now require just a single point from their final home fixture against Comoros to secure their spot.
Additional goals for Ghana came from Mohammed Salisu, Alexander Djiku, captain Jordan Ayew, and Kamaldeen Sulemana, with the team holding a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Meanwhile, Cape Verde staged a remarkable comeback in Tripoli, overturning a two-goal deficit to draw 3-3 with Libya, edging closer to their first-ever World Cup qualification.
The island nation, home to roughly 550,000 people off Senegal’s coast, will clinch Group D if they defeat Eswatini in Praia on Monday.
Nicknamed the Blue Sharks, Cape Verde currently leads the group by two points over Cameroon, who secured a 2-0 victory against Mauritius in Saint-Pierre. Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo was among the scorers for Cameroon.
With 20 points from nine matches, Cape Verde holds a slim advantage over Cameroon, which boasts a record eight World Cup appearances among African nations.
Cameroon, the pre-qualifying favorites, needed a late goal at 92 minutes to seal their win in Mauritius and keep their hopes alive. Their final match at home against Angola in Yaoundé is crucial, as only a victory will keep their automatic qualification dreams intact.
If Cape Verde finishes atop the group, Cameroon will aim to qualify as one of the four best runners-up, earning a spot in the playoffs scheduled for November.
The African qualification playoffs consist of single-elimination semifinals and a final, with the winner advancing to the intercontinental playoffs next March. This stage features six teams competing for two remaining World Cup berths.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, running from June 11 to July 19.
