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Egypt End World Cup Qualifiers Unbeaten After Beating Guinea-Bissau

Egypt wrapped up the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup unbeaten for the first time in their history since the introduction of the group-stage format, after defeating Guinea-Bissau 1-0 at Cairo International Stadium.

The Pharaohs finished their Group A campaign with eight wins and two draws from ten matches, without a single loss.

Egypt had already secured qualification for the World Cup — their fourth appearance in history — after beating Djibouti 2-0 last Saturday in Morocco. The team then went on to achieve a historic milestone, as they had lost one match in both the 1990 and 2018 qualifying campaigns.

Egypt had previously qualified for the 1934 World Cup without defeat but under a different format, before the introduction of the group-stage system. Back then, they beat Palestine 11-2 on aggregate across two legs.

Under coach Hossam Hassan, Egypt played without Premier League stars Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, who were both present in the stands. The only goal of the game came in the 10th minute when Mohamed Hamdy fired a powerful strike into the net after receiving a precise cross from Ahmed Nabil “Koka.”

Egypt dominated possession for most of the match, with several chances to extend their lead through Ahmed Sayed “Zizo,” Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet,” and Mostafa Mohamed.

In the same group, Burkina Faso consolidated their second place with a 3-1 home win over Ethiopia, while Sierra Leone defeated hosts Djibouti 2-1.

Egypt topped the standings with 26 points, followed by Burkina Faso (21), Sierra Leone (15), Guinea-Bissau (10), Ethiopia (9), and Djibouti (1).

Ghana Qualify for the World Cup

Ghana also booked their place at the 2026 World Cup after defeating the Comoros 1-0 in Accra.

The Black Stars finished top of Group I in the African qualifiers, sealing their fifth appearance at the World Cup after 2006, 2010 (when they reached the quarter-finals), 2014, and 2022.

Ghana thus joined Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt as the five African nations to have already booked their tickets to the global showpiece.

The team returned to international prominence after a difficult spell on the continental stage earlier this year, when they were eliminated in the group stage of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.

Those results led to the dismissal of Irish coach Chris Hughton and the appointment of Otto Addo, though the team’s struggles continued, finishing bottom of their AFCON qualifying group with no wins, three draws, and three losses.

Ghana’s winner came early in the second half when Tottenham Hotspur player Mohammed Kudus converted a close-range cross from Thomas Partey in the 47th minute.

Interestingly, the Comoros were the only team to defeat Ghana in the World Cup qualifiers, winning the reverse fixture 1-0 in November 2023.

Elsewhere in the same group, Mali thrashed Madagascar 4-1 thanks to goals from Lassine Sinayoko (10, 63), Dorgeles Nene (38), and Gaoussou Diarra (90+5), while Johann Nzy scored the lone goal for Madagascar (90).

The Central African Republic also defeated neighbors Chad 3-2.

In a dead rubber from Group E — already won by Morocco — Niger beat hosts Zambia 1-0, with Daniel Sosah scoring the decisive goal in the 56th minute.

The nine group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, while the four best second-placed teams will advance to the playoffs for a chance to reach the intercontinental play-off.

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