Egypt national team coach Hossam Hassan holding the Egyptian flag after the match against Burkina Faso. Photo Courtesy of EFA.
With the draw, Egypt moved closer to securing a spot in the 2026 World Cup finals.
Sitting atop Group A with 20 points, five ahead of second-placed Burkina Faso, the Pharaohs now need just one point from their remaining two qualifiers to confirm their place.
“We aimed to get a positive result, either a win or a draw, knowing how important it was to maintain the five-point gap with our direct opponents Burkina Faso,” Hassan said in the post-match press conference.
“We missed several scoring chances and were even denied a goal,” he added.
The match dealt an early blow to Egypt when Manchester City winger Omar Marmoush was forced off due to a serious injury and was replaced by Osama Faisal.
“We were unlucky with Marmoush’s injury as he is an important player for us, but his teammates managed to compensate for his absence,” Hassan added.
Egypt will have to wait until their next match against Djibouti in October’s ninth round to seal their qualification for the global tournament.
“I thank all the players for their effort against a tough opponent who has talented players,” Hassan said.
Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah played a key role throughout the game, scoring in the 67th minute only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. Salah also created several scoring opportunities, coming close to clinching victory for Egypt.
“Mohamed Salah was a great leader on the field and provided multiple chances,” Hassan concluded.
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