2026 WCQ: Egypt Held by Burkina Faso, Miss Chance to Confirm World Cup Spot

 

Egypt squandered the opportunity to seal early qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being held to a 0-0 stalemate by Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou, A win would have guaranteed the Pharaohs’ passage to the finals with two games to spare, joining North African rivals Morocco and Tunisia in booking early tickets.

The match was tense and cagey, with few clear chances for either side. Egypt thought they had finally broken the deadlock in the 66th minute when substitute Osama Faisal pounced on a knockdown from captain Mohamed Salah and found the net. However, the celebrations were cut short as the assistant referee’s flag went up for offside.

Egypt’s hopes were further dented by the early loss of Omar Marmoush, who hobbled off after just nine minutes with a suspected injury. The setback not only weakened Rui Vitória’s attack but also raised concerns for Manchester City, with Marmoush potentially missing the upcoming Premier League Manchester derby.

Despite fielding attacking talents such as Salah, Trezeguet, and Marmoush before his withdrawal, Egypt looked blunt in open play. Salah endured one of his quieter nights, while Trezeguet was the only Pharaoh to test the Burkinabè goalkeeper, registering the game’s two shots on target. The lack of creativity was in stark contrast to their previous outing, where Salah and Marmoush had both scored penalties in a 2-0 win over Ethiopia in Cairo.

The goalless draw marked the first time Egypt failed to score in Group A, raising questions about their attacking efficiency heading into the final two qualifiers. Burkina Faso, meanwhile, celebrated the point as a morale boost that keeps their own World Cup dreams alive.

Egypt remain top of the group but must now wait until October, when they travel to Sierra Leone before hosting Ethiopia in their final fixture, to try and secure a record-extending appearance at the World Cup finals.

Egypt missed the chance to qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup by drawing 0-0 in Burkina Faso, where victory would have sealed the Pharaohs’ progress with two games left to play, BBC Sport reports.

Bidding to join North African rivals Morocco and Tunisia in qualifying early for the finals, Egypt thought they had broken the deadlock in a tight game after 66 minutes only for Osama Faisal’s goal to be ruled offside.In a game of few chances in the Burkinabe capital Ouagadougou, the substitute swept home captain and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah’s knockdown only for the flag to instantly rise.

Egypt’s hopes were hampered by an early injury to Omar Marmoush, which will worry Manchester City with the forward hobbling off after just nine minutes and a Manchester derby in the Premier League next for his club on Sunday.

Both Marmoush and Salah, who had one of his quieter games, had scored first-half penalties on Friday as Egypt beat Ethiopia 2-0 in Cairo to set up the chance to qualify against the Burkinabe but the Pharaohs seldom threatened from open play once again.

In fact, they failed to score for the first time in Group A despite fielding both Salah and Trezeguet, who have scored 12 of Egypt’s 16 qualifying goals, with the former Aston Villa man registering the game’s only two shots on 

target.