The African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup offered contrasting scenarios on Friday evening. Morocco and Egypt strengthened their positions at the top of their respective groups with crucial victories.
The Atlas Lions pulled off a 2-1 win over Niger after a second-half scare, while the Pharaohs, buoyed by Mohamed Salah, dominated Ethiopia 2-0.
Guinea, on the other hand, were held to a 0-0 draw by modest Somalia, a blow to their qualification hopes. In other matches, Burkina Faso beat Djibouti by a large margin (4-1), Nigeria got back on track with a win over Rwanda (2-0), and South Africa secured the vital points against Lesotho (2-0).
With the pressure mounting and the gaps widening, the battle for a place at the North American World Cup promises to be intense over the next few rounds.
Editorial staff
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