Egypt is set to host Burkina Faso at Cairo Stadium on Thursday for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Pharaohs are aiming for a victory to preserve their flawless record in the African qualifiers.
Egypt currently tops Group A with two wins from their opening two games, having secured a dominant 6-0 victory over Djibouti and a 2-0 away win against Sierra Leone.
However, the Pharaohs experienced a disappointing run in the African Cup of Nations, exiting at the Round of 16. This led to the departure of Rui Vitoria, who was replaced by Egyptian icon Hossam Hassan.
Hossam Hassan, the Egyptian national team’s all-time leading scorer, took over as head coach in February. His first competitive fixture was in the Egypt Capital Cup friendly tournament last March, where he led the team to a 1-0 win over New Zealand and a 4-2 defeat to Croatia in the final.
Egyptian and Liverpool star winger Mohamed Salah has joined the national team camp ahead of the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau on June 6 and 11, respectively.
Salah missed the March camp to focus on Liverpool amid reports of differences with newly appointed coach Hossam Hassan.
Notable absentees from Egypt’s squad include defender Ahmed Hegazi, midfielder Mohamed Elneny, defender Ahmed Fatouh, and forward Omar Marmoush.
On Wednesday, Hossam Hassan emphasized that Burkina Faso is a tough opponent, dismissing any suggestions that the Pharaohs will have an easy task against the Stallions.
The Stallions will be without their star player Bertrand Traoré, who plays for Spanish side Villarreal. Meanwhile, Pyramids FC midfielder Blati Touré is set to lead the Burkinabe squad against Egypt.
FT: Egypt 2-1 Burkina Faso | 2026 World Cup qualifiers
