9/10 Liverpool star 'a class apart' and 'too much to handle' as 'clinical' double fires country to World Cup
One Liverpool star booked their place at the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday
Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah scored twice as Egypt secured their place at the 2026 World Cup with a 3-0 win over Djibouti on Wednesday.
Ibrahim Adel opened the scoring after eight minutes with Salah adding a second just six minutes later. The Reds star then sealed the win with a second goal in the 84th minute.
The victory puts Egypt five points clear of Burkina Faso in Group A of CAF qualifying and with just one game remaining, meaning their spot at the 2026 World Cup is now secured. Nine African sides qualify for the World Cup, with the continent split into nine groups of six teams with only group winners securing qualification.
Egypt are unbeaten in qualifying, with seven wins and two draws from their nine games. They did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but were present in Russia in 2018 in what was only their third-ever World Cup.
Salah was partly injured for the 2018 tournament but did score twice in two appearances but Egypt lost all three of their games.
Mo Salah hailed for impact as Egypt qualify for 2026 World Cup
Salah’s first goal came as he was played in on goal and with the goalkeeper rushing towards him he fired a low shot underneath the Djibouti stopper to squeeze the ball in at the near post with a clever finish.
His second was a fine finish as he again took advantage of an on-rushing goalkeeper to expertly lob the ball into the net from just inside the penalty area after a ball over the top of the defence.
Sports Dunia gave him a 9/10 rating for his performance and wrote of his display: “The captain led by example and was simply a class apart. He scored two clinical goals, one in each half, showing his predatory instincts in the box. His movement was too much for the opposition to handle. It was a truly dominant performance from the highest-rated player on the pitch, who sealed the victory with his brilliance.”
Mo Salah back in action on Sunday
Egypt play their final game of World Cup qualifying on Sunday evening as they host Guinea-Bissau. The team are likely to get a hero’s reception when they return to their national stadium. Guinea-Bissau are fourth in Group A and have no hope of reaching the qualification play-offs.
It remains to be seen if any of Egypt's key players will be rested. If Salah does play, he will still have plenty of time to return to Liverpool and prepare for a huge clash with Manchester United on Sunday, October 19.