File Photo: Guinea Bissau v Egypt. Photo courtesy of EFA.
The Pharaohs booked their spot at the expanded 48-team tournament with a 3-0 win over Djibouti in Morocco on Wednesday, moving to 23 points from nine matches and sealing top spot in the group.
With qualification assured, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah will be rested for the final fixture, the Egyptian Football Association said in a statement.
“Technical staff decided to rest Mohamed Salah from participating in the game against Guinea Bissau,” the statement read.
Midfielders Hamdi Fathi and Marwan Attia will also miss the match due to suspension after picking up their second yellow cards during the win over Djibouti.
Pyramids FC winger Mostafa Fathi is expected to fill in for Salah.
This will mark Egypt’s fourth World Cup appearance, 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.
Team director Ibrahim Hassan, twin brother of head coach Hossam Hassan, expressed confidence in the team’s direction.
"We will work hard in the coming days,” he said. “We promise the Egyptian fans that the best is yet to come."
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