Egypt travel to Ouagadougou to face Burkina Faso at Stade du 4-Aout, seeking a victory that would seal automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
With only three rounds left, the Pharaohs hold a five-point lead at the top of Group A but face a stern test against their second-placed hosts, who are desperate to cut the gap in the race for a place at the finals.
The stakes could not be higher for Burkina Faso, as a slip here would all but end hopes of reaching their first ever World Cup through direct progression.
While they head into Monday’s tie on a high, Burkina still carry the burden of never having beaten Egypt in five previous meetings across all competitions, losing four and suffering a penalty defeat in the other.
Egypt approach the clash with belief, not only buoyed by their 2-1 success in the reverse fixture but also with momentum following another strong result last time out.
The Pharaohs, who had not played since back-to-back victories in March, picked up where they left off by beating Ethiopia 2-0 in Cairo on Friday.
Penalty strikes from captain Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush were enough to secure three points, guaranteeing Egypt at least a top-two finish.
Hossam Hassan’s side have now won six of their seven qualifiers, drawing the other, and have impressed at both ends with 16 goals scored and only two conceded.
This has all the makings of a fiercely contested battle, with Burkina Faso throwing everything at Egypt, but the Pharaohs look capable of standing firm, so a draw appears the likeliest outcome.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
