The 2026 World Cup African Qualifiers have entered a crucial stage, with only two rounds remaining in the group phase. Currently sitting top of their group, Egypt will visit Djibouti—ranked 193rd by FIFA—at midnight tomorrow. Facing such a vastly inferior opponent, Egypt need just one win from their final two matches to secure qualification and book their direct ticket to the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
In terms of squad selection, Mohamed Salah leads the lineup, joined by Trezeguet, while Omar Marmoush misses out due to a knee injury. Throughout this qualifying campaign, Salah has been in excellent form, tallying 7 goals and 3 assists in eight matches.
Looking back at Egypt’s recent World Cup history: in 2018, they lost all three group-stage matches and failed to advance; in 2022, they narrowly missed qualification, falling to Senegal in a penalty shootout during the final round of the qualifiers.
For the 2026 World Cup, Africa has been allocated nine direct qualification spots, plus one intercontinental playoff berth. Morocco and Tunisia have already secured their places last month. According to the qualification rules, each group winner qualifies directly, while the four best second-placed teams will enter playoffs to compete for the final intercontinental playoff spot.
