In their inaugural qualification match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Egypt secured a resounding victory, courtesy of Mohamed Salah’s stellar four-goal performance. Meanwhile, Nigeria faced unexpected challenges on home turf, settling for a 1-1 draw against Lesotho, ranked 113 places below them.
Lesotho’s Motlomelo Mkwanazi stunned Nigeria with a 56th-minute goal from a corner, placing the underdogs ahead. West Brom center-back Semi Ajayi responded powerfully, heading in Kelechi Iheanacho’s corner to level the score 11 minutes later. Despite dominating the first half, the Super Eagles couldn’t capitalize on opportunities, with Iheanacho’s free-kick saved and Ademola Lookman’s shot deflected.
Salah’s brilliance illuminated Egypt’s Group A match against Djibouti, where he netted four goals. Mostafa Mohamed, Ahmed El Fatouh, and Trezeguet contributed to the 6-0 thrashing in Cairo.
In other African qualifiers, Algeria triumphed 3-1 over Somalia, Mozambique secured a 3-2 away win against Botswana, Burundi clinched a 3-2 victory over The Gambia in Tanzania, and Gabon rallied to beat Kenya 2-1. Sudan drew 1-1 against Togo, and Cape Verde and Angola played to a 0-0 draw.
Ethiopia lodged a complaint with Fifa after their Group A opener against Sierra Leone was disrupted by dense fog in El Jadida. The Ethiopia Football Federation (EFF) contended that the match “should have been postponed” due to the adverse weather conditions. Despite this, Ethiopia is scheduled to host Burkina Faso at Stade El Abdi on Tuesday, with the EFF urging Fifa to adjust the kick-off time to avoid a repeat of fog-related disruptions.
Cameroon will be taking on Mauritius on the 17th of November at the Japoma Stadium, and all eyes will be on the Indomitable Lions.
