November 16, (THEWILL) – Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah was the star of the show as Egypt thrashed Djibouti 6-0 in their opening 2026 World Cup qualifying match on Thursday.
Salah scored four goals to take his international tally to 53 in 93 games as Egypt made a strong start to their qualifying campaign. The Liverpool forward grabbed the first four goals in Cairo before being substituted in the second half.
Salah’s clinical finishing ensured an emphatic victory for Egypt over the minnows Djibouti in Group A. The dominant performance will give Egypt confidence as they aim to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after missing out on Qatar 2022.
In other results, Mozambique claimed an impressive 3-2 away win over Botswana in Group G while Algeria were an unconvincing 3-1 winner at home to Somalia. Gabon came from behind to beat Kenya 2-1 and Burundi edged out Gambia 3-2 in their qualifier played in Tanzania.
The first two rounds of African World Cup qualifying take place this month and will resume in June next year. With nine group winners and the four best runners-up progressing, Egypt have made a strong start while Nigeria face pressure after their surprise draw against Lesotho.
