World Cup Qualifiers: Salah Shines, Morocco Survives, and More
March 21, 2025, was a day filled with excitement and drama as the 2026 World Cup qualifiers unfolded across various venues. The spotlight was on Mohamed Salah, the captain of Egypt, who led his team to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Ethiopia. This win was crucial for Egypt as they continue their journey towards the World Cup finals.
In the same breath, the 2022 semifinalists Morocco found themselves in a nail-biting encounter against Niger. It was Bilal El Khannouss who emerged as the hero, scoring a late winner to secure a 2-1 victory. This result allowed Morocco to maintain their lead in Group E by six points over second-placed Niger.
Meanwhile, Zizo added to Egypt’s tally, helping them open up a commanding five-point lead in Group A at the halfway point of the qualification campaign. Earlier in the day, Burkina Faso secured a 4-1 victory over Djibouti, moving into second place in the pool.
As the qualification process heats up, it’s important to remember that only the top team in each of the nine groups will earn a place at the finals in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The four best runners-up will face a challenging inter-continental playoff campaign for one additional berth.
Morocco had the advantage of playing their ‘away’ match against Niger at home in Oujda, as Niger lacked suitable stadiums for international matches. Despite this, Morocco needed an equalizer from Ismael Saibari and a stoppage-time winner from El Khannouss to clinch the victory.
In Group C, South Africa worked hard for a 2-0 home win over Lesotho, with Relebohile Mofokeng and Jayden Adams both scoring their first international goals. South Africa now sits at the top of the group and will travel to neutral Abidjan to face second-placed Benin on Tuesday, where they could potentially extend their lead.
Nigeria finally claimed their first win of the qualification campaign at the fifth attempt, defeating Rwanda 2-0 in Kigali. Victor Osimhen was the star of the match, scoring both goals to bring Nigeria to six points, four behind South Africa.
In another impressive performance, Ghana moved to the top of their qualification pool with a resounding 5-0 victory over Chad in Accra. Goals from Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams, Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Salisu, and Ernest Nuamah secured the win, putting them two points ahead of Madagascar in Group I.
Elephants Go Top
Ivory Coast took over the top spot in their pool with a narrow 1-0 win over Burundi in a match played in Morocco. Evann Guessand scored his first goal for the Ivorians, sealing the victory.
Elsewhere, Mohamed Amoura netted a brace as Algeria triumphed 3-1 in Botswana, moving to the top of Group G on goal difference from Mozambique. Amine Gouiri opened the scoring for the visitors.
In a surprising turn of events, Guinea was held to a goalless draw by minnows Somalia in neutral Abidjan, a setback to their qualification hopes.
The Democratic Republic of Congo edged South Sudan with a first-half winner from Theo Bongonda, moving into second place in Group B behind leaders Sudan, who are set to play Senegal on Saturday.
Finally, Emilio Nsue made a triumphant return to the Equatorial Guinea side, scoring in their 2-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe. Nsue had been serving a six-month ban imposed by FIFA after being ruled ineligible to represent the central African nation, despite being their all-time leading scorer.
- Egypt leads Group A by five points.
- Morocco tops Group E by six points.
- South Africa leads Group C.
- Nigeria secures first qualification win.
- Ghana dominates Chad with a 5-0 victory.
Originally Written by: Reuters
