Egypt Forced to Wait After draw in Burkina Faso

Egypt squandered the opportunity to secure early qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being held to a goalless draw by Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou. A win would have guaranteed the Pharaohs a spot at the finals with two matches to spare, Sport360NG reports.

Osama Faisal appeared to have given Hossam Hassan’s men the breakthrough midway through the second half when he turned in Mohamed Salah’s knockdown. However, the assistant referee’s flag swiftly denied Egypt, ruling the effort offside in what proved to be the game’s decisive moment.

The visitors suffered a setback inside the opening 10 minutes when Omar Marmoush limped off injured, a concern for both Egypt and his club Manchester City ahead of this weekend’s Premier League derby against United. Salah, meanwhile, endured a subdued outing after playing a starring role in Friday’s 2-0 victory over Ethiopia in Cairo.

Despite the presence of Salah and Trezeguet, responsible for 12 of Egypt’s 16 goals in the qualifiers, the North Africans struggled to create clear chances, registering just two shots on target through the former Aston Villa winger. It was the first time Egypt failed to score in Group A.

For the hosts, the result keeps faint hopes of qualification alive. Burkina Faso, returning to their refurbished national stadium for the first time in this campaign, came closest through headers from Edmond Tapsoba and Dango Ouattara but could not find the net.

The Stallions sit five points behind Egypt, the group leaders, and must win their remaining matches against Sierra Leone and Ethiopia to stay in contention. Even then, their chances remain slim, with Egypt needing to lose to both Djibouti and Guinea-Bissau for the group to open up.

Coach Hossam Hassan, who lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in Ouagadougou as captain back in 1998, was left frustrated as his team dropped points for only the second time in qualifying.

Egypt, seven-time African champions, have historically struggled on the global stage. Despite their continental dominance, they have only appeared at three World Cups, 1934, 1990 and most recently in 2018, and their wait for a fourth appearance continues a little longer.