On Wednesday in Casablanca, Liverpool player Mohamed Salah netted two goals to assist Egypt in a 3-0 victory over Djibouti and secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
The 33-year-old has scored nine goals during a qualifying campaign for the marathon that started two years ago. Egypt’s victory provided them with an unassailable five-point lead in Group A, with one round left to play.
Salah, who has been named African Footballer of the Year twice, aided Liverpool in securing a record-equalling 20th Premier League title last season while also winning the Golden Boot with 29 goals.
This season, however, the captain of Egypt has lost his spark with Liverpool, netting only three times across nine matches in all competitions.
Ibrahim Adel gave Egypt the lead after eight minutes, followed by Salah scoring six minutes later and again in the 84th minute to finalize the score.
Egypt has a record seven victories in the Africa Cup of Nations, but their World Cup qualifying success is limited to four instances out of 15 attempts: 1934, 1990, 2018, and now 2026.
In Meknes, Ghana’s Thomas Partey, a former Arsenal midfielder, netted a goal in the team’s 5-0 victory over the Central African Republic. To qualify, they need just one point from their final match against Comoros at home.
The Black Stars led 1-0 at the half thanks to goals from Kamaldeen Sulemana, Jordan Ayew (71), Mohammed Salisu, and Alexander Djiku. Cape Verde rallied from a two-goal deficit in Tripoli to draw 3-3 with Libya and move closer to making their first World Cup appearance. If they defeat Eswatini in Praia on Monday, the island nation of roughly 550,000 people off the coast of Senegal will secure first place in Group D.
The Cape Verdeans, also known as the Blue Sharks, are two points ahead of Cameroon, who defeated Mauritius 2-0 in Saint-Pierre, thanks in part to goals from Bryan Mbeumo of Manchester United.
After nine rounds, Cape Verde has 20 points, two more than Cameroon, who hold the African record with eight World Cup appearances.
Cape Verde had a terrible start after defender Roberto Lopes of Republic of Ireland team Shamrock Rovers gave up an own goal in the first minute.
Prior to Ezoo el Mariamy and Mahmoud al Shalwi’s goals either side of halftime giving the Mediterranean Knights a 3-1 advantage, Telmo Arcanjo tied the score for the island country.
Willy Semedo of Cyprus equalized in minute 82 after Sidny Cabral had cut the deficit, setting up a tense finish as Cape Verde looked for a fourth goal and qualification.
They will likely defeat Eswatini, who lost a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw with Angola in Lobamba and are still winless in the group, even though a game-winning goal did not materialize.
Cameroon, the clear pre-qualifying favorites to win the group, required 92 minutes to win, but they needed to earn all possible points in Mauritius to maintain their prospects of passing Cape Verde.
Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu, a midfielder for Dynamo Moscow, gave the Indomitable Lions the lead at the 57-minute mark, and Mbeumo scored his fourth goal of the qualifying season in extra time.
In order to have any chance of automatic qualification, Cameroon must defeat Angola in Yaounde, where they finish their schedule.
Cameroon would aim to place among the top four runners-up and earn a spot in the November playoffs if Cape Verde were to win.
The winners of the African mini-tournament, comprising single-match semi-finals and a final, advance to six-nation inter-continental play-offs next March with two World Cup places up for grabs.
Early in the second half, Justice Figuareido, a player from South Africa, scored twice as Eswatini appeared to snap an eight-match losing streak in the mini-league.
Through Jonathan Buatu, Angola cut the deficit in half under French coach Patrice Beaumelle, who took over as manager for the first time following the dismissal of Portuguese Pedro Goncalves.
Papel Ary then headed the equalizer with ten minutes of regular time left after a weak Eswatini marking at a corner.
