Egypt squandered the chance to seal early qualification for the 2026 World Cup after being held to a goalless draw against Burkina Faso on Tuesday.
So far, Morocco and Tunisia are the only African nations to have officially booked their tickets to next summer’s tournament as the latest round of qualifiers concluded.
South Africa, leading Group C, also had hopes of securing its spot but must wait longer following a 1-1 stalemate with Nigeria.
In Group D, Cape Verde pulled off a major upset by defeating Cameroon 1-0, sparking jubilant celebrations and even a pitch invasion. The result marked Cape Verde’s fifth consecutive qualifying win, putting them four points clear of the Indomitable Lions with 19 points at the top of the group.
Nigeria, a six-time World Cup participant, now faces the danger of missing back-to-back tournaments. The Super Eagles trail South Africa by six points in what has been a disappointing campaign.
Elsewhere, Senegal mounted a dramatic comeback to beat the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-2, holding firm at the top of Group B.
Ivory Coast maintained control of Group F despite a 0-0 draw with Gabon, though only a single point separates the two sides.
Meanwhile, Gabon’s Denis Bouanga leads the scoring charts with eight goals, just ahead of Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, who sits on seven.
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