Men's WCQ 2026: Egypt solidify Group-A lead with 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson 

Men's 2026 WCQ Group-A current standings

Record AFCON winners, Egypt, yesterday emulated Sierra Leone's winning pattern with a narrow 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso. 

The hero of the night was forward Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim Hassan (Trezeguet), who scored a brace to secure the vital win for his team. 

The decisive Group-A took place at the Cairo International Stadium, where the host started off by taking the lead within just three minutes, engineered by a brilliant partnership between the Egyptian captain Mohamed Salah and Trezeguet. 

The home fans had barely stopped celebrating when Trezeguet struck again, scoring his second goal of the night just four minutes later to take his tally to five goals scored in three games played so far in the on-going 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Despite a consolation goal from Lassina Chamste Soudine Franck Traore in the 56th minute, Burkina Faso couldn't match the strength of the Egyptian team, who walked away with all three points from the crucial Group A, World Cup qualifiers match day-3. 

The win means Egypt has been in fine form recently, remaining unbeaten in their last three games and scoring an impressive total of 10 goals while only conceding one to Burkina Faso in their World Cup campaign. They previously secured victories against Djibouti (6-0) and Sierra Leone (2-0), solidifying their position at the top of Group-A with nine points, four points clear of Guinea Bissau in second place.

Meanwhile, Sierra Leone and four other nations in Group-A are still finding their footing. 

In the other Group-A match, Ethiopia managed to grab a valuable away point from the September 24 stadium where they played to a barren draw with Guinea Bissau, maintaining their fifth-place position with two points. 

Djibouti, on the other hand, continues to struggle at the bottom of the group after a recent 2-1 loss to Sierra Leone. However, the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone, are currently in fourth place alongside Burkina Faso, both with four points each setting the stage for a fascinating clash between the two teams on Monday, June 10 in Bamako.