Salah scores as Egypt bag win

Captain Mohamed Salah found the net for Egypt as they secured a comfortable 2-0 win over Ethiopia in their 2026 World Cup qualifier on Friday.

Meanwhile, Morocco, semi-finalists in 2022, had to rely on a late goal from Bilal El Khannouss to edge past Niger.

Egypt extended their lead in Group A to five points at the midway stage of the qualifiers, with Zizo adding a second goal to seal their victory.

Burkina Faso earlier secured a 4-1 triumph over Djibouti, propelling them into second place in the group.

Each group winner among the nine qualification groups secures a direct spot at the World Cup finals set to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Meanwhile, the four best runners-up will face a challenging intercontinental playoff for the last available berth.

Morocco played their designated away match against Niger on home soil in Oujda, as Niger lacks suitable stadiums for international games.

Despite this advantage, Morocco found themselves trailing until Ismael Saibari equalized on the hour mark, with El Khannouss clinching the win in stoppage time.

This result put them six points ahead of Niger in Group E.

Mo Salah had a goal and an assist in the first half against Ethiopia.

It’s what he does 👑 pic.twitter.com/0pGCiFiQnR

— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 21, 2025

South Africa faced a tough challenge at home against neighbouring Lesotho but ultimately prevailed 2-0. Relebohile Mofokeng and Jayden Adams both scored their maiden international goals to send their team to the top of Group C.

They will next travel to neutral Abidjan for a crucial match against second-placed Benin on Tuesday, where a victory could widen their lead.

Nigeria finally broke their winless streak in the qualification campaign, securing a 2-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali. Victor Osimhen netted twice, boosting Nigeria’s points tally to six, though they still trail South Africa by four points.

Ghana, who failed to qualify for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, delivered a dominant 5-0 performance against Chad in Accra.

Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams, Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Salisu, and Ernest Nuamah all got on the scoresheet, placing Ghana two points ahead of Madagascar in Group I.

Ivory Coast move top

Ivory Coast climbed to the top of their group after a narrow 1-0 win over Burundi in a match hosted in Morocco. Evann Guessand scored his first international goal, securing the victory.

Algeria moved to the top of Group G on goal difference following a 3-1 win over Botswana. Mohamed Amoura struck twice, while Amine Gouiri opened the scoring for the visitors.

Guinea’s qualification hopes took a hit as they were held to a goalless draw against underdogs Somalia in neutral Abidjan.

Elsewhere, the Democratic Republic of Congo edged South Sudan with a 1-0 win, thanks to Theo Bongonda’s first-half strike. This victory placed them in second place in Group B behind Sudan, who are set to face Senegal on Saturday.

Emilio Nsue made a triumphant return to the Equatorial Guinea squad, scoring in their 2-0 victory over Sao Tome and Principe. Nsue had been serving a six-month FIFA-imposed ban due to eligibility issues, despite being the country’s all-time leading scorer.