Mohamed Salah dealt World Cup frustration as Egypt fails to secure qualification

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah missed the opportunity to secure a spot at next summer’s World Cup with Egypt, after the Pharaohs failed to beat Burkina Faso on Wednesday.

Egypt knew ahead of the meeting between the top two sides in qualification Group A, that victory would secure a first World Cup spot since 2018. Salah underwhelmed in that tournament as he recovered from injury and due to reported internal disagreements within the Egyptian FA.

At 33, this will likely be the Liverpool star's final opportunity to play at soccer's biggest stage. And the north African side could have secured a spot with all three points on Wednesday, but after being held to a goalless stalemate will need to wait until October's fixtures.

Salah played from a more central and withdrawn role in Ouagadougou, with Manchester City star Omar Marmoush operating as a central striker. However, he had to be replaced after just nine minutes due to injury.

Even more infuriatingly, Salah saw a 66th-minute header ruled out for offside. Replays appeared to show he was onside.

Only the top sides in the nine African qualification groups will automatically advance to the World Cup, and first-place Egypt now holds a five-point gap over Burkina Faso.

It will therefore take just two more points from matches against Djibouti and Guinea-Bissau next month to guarantee a spot at the 2026 World Cup.

Tunisia and Morocco are the only African nations to secure their place in the competition, with the nine group winners set to be involved in the USA, Canada and Mexico next summer, while the four best-placed runners-up will feature in the play-offs.

Of the 48 nations set to compete at the 2026 World Cup, 18 have qualified, including Argentina, Brazil and Japan, all of which has Liverpool representatives.

No European countries have yet qualified for the expanded tournament.

With the Africa Cup of Nations set to be stage this winter, it will likely prove to be a huge year for Salah and Egypt.

The forward is still yet to lift silverware with his country and lost in the final of the 2017 and 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

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