Adel opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a well-placed header from Ahmed “Zizo” Sayed’s pinpoint cross.
Seven minutes later, Liverpool forward Salah doubled the lead after being played through by Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan, calmly slotting past the keeper.
Salah sealed the win — and Egypt’s place at next year’s finals — with a deft volley in the 84th minute after latching onto a long pass from Marwan Atteya.
The result lifts the Pharaohs to 23 points from nine matches, five clear of second-placed Burkina Faso, who edged Sierra Leone 1-0 earlier on Wednesday.
With one game remaining, Egypt are now assured of top spot in Group A and a direct berth at the expanded 48-team tournament.
It will be Egypt’s fourth appearance at the World Cup, following previous qualifications in 1934, 1990 and 2018.
The 2026 finals will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
Early dominance
Egypt signalled their intent early, dominating possession and attacking with purpose. FC Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed thought he had opened the scoring in the seventh minute, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
A minute later, Adel broke the deadlock, and Salah’s early second gave the Pharaohs a firm grip on the match.
Djibouti struggled to threaten Egypt’s goal throughout the first half, while Zizo remained a constant menace down the right flank, delivering a series of dangerous crosses. However, Adel and Mostafa Mohamed were unable to extend the lead before the break.
The second half was largely uneventful, with Egypt maintaining control. Mostafa Mohamed was denied by the crossbar in the 58th minute, and continued to threaten but was unable to find the net.
On the hour mark, coach Hossam Hassan made a triple substitution, bringing on goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, Ahmed Nabil, and Mohanad Lasheen for Mohamed El-Shennawy, Mohamed Fathi and Hamdi Fathi.
Salah lit up the second half with his second goal of the night, receiving a lofted ball from Atteya and lobbing the keeper with a well-taken volley.
Winger Mostafa Fathi made a late cameo, replacing Atteya in the closing stages as Egypt celebrated a dominant performance and a deserved World Cup qualification.
Egypt will conclude their World Cup qualifying campaign on Sunday with a home match against Guinea-Bissau in Cairo, where the Pharaohs will celebrate their qualification for the 2026 finals.
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