Khaberni - Mohamed Salah, star of Liverpool, leads the hopes of Egypt's national team to reach the World Cup finals for the fourth time in history, all it takes is a win over Djibouti on Wednesday in the ninth and penultimate round of the African qualifiers. Meanwhile, Hossam Hassan aspires to join a long list of soccer stars who have participated in the World Cup as both players and coaches, having appeared with his national team as a player in the 1990 edition.
The African qualifiers for the 2026 Football World Cup conclude next week, revealing which seven other teams will secure their participation in the finals scheduled in North America.
Egypt will play against Djibouti in Casablanca, Morocco, which serves as their home ground, and a victory will suffice for their fourth qualification after 1934, 1990, and 2018.
Under the leadership of coach Hossam Hassan, the Egyptian team tops Group One with 20 points, five points ahead of Burkina Faso, their only competitor for the direct ticket, while Djibouti is at the bottom with just one point.
Salah has not had a good start this season with his team, as he has missed scoring in the last four matches across all competitions. However, he hopes to return to scoring against Djibouti, having previously scored four goals in a 6-0 win in November 2023.
The Egyptian team hopes to defeat Djibouti, making the Guinea-Bissau match a celebratory one on their home ground and among their fans, anticipating qualification, after failing to secure a pass to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar following a penalty shootout loss to Senegal.
