Egypt's star forward Mohamed Salah and his team face a critical 2026 World Cup qualifier match against Burkina Faso.
Morocco Makes History as First African Nation to Qualify for 2026 World Cup
In a thrilling turn of events, Morocco has become the first African nation to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup finals. The North African powerhouse achieved this milestone with a resounding 5-0 victory over Niger in a top-of-the-table Group A qualifier.
The match saw Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi, who recently won the Uefa Champions League with PSG, playing despite an injury. His performance was instrumental in securing Morocco's qualification. Ismael Saibari (2), Ayoub El Kaabi, Hamza Igamane, and Azzedine Ounahi scored the goals for Morocco.
Meanwhile, Egypt, aiming to qualify for the World Cup for only the third time in their history, secured a hard-fought victory over Burkina Faso. This win, coupled with other results, brings them close to qualification as they currently lead Group A. A win for Egypt on Tuesday against Burkina Faso would guarantee them a spot at the 2026 World Cup finals with two matches remaining.
Mohamed Salah, who plays for Liverpool, scored a penalty in Egypt's previous match against Ethiopia, helping them win 2-0. Salah's latest goal equals the record for all-time top African scorer in World Cup qualifiers. He is now tied with Didier Drogba, Islam Slimani, Samuel Eto'o, and Moumouni Dagano on 18 goals.
Burkina Faso's Dango Ouattara, who plays for Premier League side Brentford, scored a double in their previous match against Djibouti. However, on Tuesday, it was Egypt who celebrated a World Cup qualification victory.
Morocco's coach, Walid Regragui, expressed hope that Hakimi would win the Ballon d'Or. Regragui also stated that the team's expectation is to win every game, with fans rightfully demanding this. The Moroccan team has already demonstrated this winning mentality in the African qualifiers, where they have won all six of their games, maintaining a 100% record.
Remarkably, Morocco has a rich World Cup history, having participated in the finals in 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, and 2022. Egypt, on the other hand, has only qualified for the World Cup twice before, in 1934 and 1990, and most recently in 2018.
As the World Cup qualifiers continue, both Egypt and Morocco will be eager to build on their success and aim for further victories. The stage is set for an exciting conclusion to the African zone qualifiers.
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