After the third round of the World Cup qualifications, and while not all clubs have still payed their fourth match, it’s Egypt and Tunisia who are the most successful with 10 points each in their respective groups. Ivory Coast are right behind with nine points, and the AFCON winners are most efficient team so far with 12 goals, one more than Egypt. So, the Pharaohs had a perfect opportunity today to not only lead all African teams with wins, points and goals scored, but to all but confirm their participation at the 2026 World Cup. And yet, it was their captain Mohamed Salah who prevented a surprising defeat from The African wild dogs and earned his team a point: Guinea-Bissau – Egypt 1-1.WHAT A GOAL FROM MOHAMED SALAH! 🇪🇬👑 pic.twitter.com/vpNTJKGisv— Samuel (@SamueILFC) June 10, 2024 Coach and Egyptian legend Hossam Hassan will surely analyze this game mainly from the motivation standpoint. Why did his team missed a great opportunity to win and all but secure their participation in the USA/Mexico/Canada bound World Cup in two years? There were no injuries, Hassan fielded out the strongest 11 and the opposition was not formidable at all. And yet, the Pharaohs played the majority of the 90 minutes as if they expected that Burkina Faso will score an own goal and do the job for them. With only one goal attempt in the first 45 minutes (off target), Salah and his teammates found themselves on the losing side as Lyon’s Mama Balde scored in the 42nd minute. Egypt’s motivation didn’t improve much in the second half, but it was Liverpool’s forward who did the job and prevented a nasty defeat. Great solo effort by Salah in the 70th minute leveled the game and Egypt’s captain could even score a winner minutes before the end but Guinea-Bissau’s keeper saved the shot.WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS – AFRICAMondayEquatorial Guinea – Malawi 1-0 (0-0)/Salvador 81/Somalia – Botswana 1-3 (0-1)/Hassan 74 – Sesinyi 10, Gaolaolwe 53, Seakanyeng 72/Guinea B. – Egypt 1-1 (1-0)/Balde 42 – Salah 70/Benin – Nigeria 2-1 (2-1)/Dossou 37, Mounie 45+3 – Onyedika 27/Uganda – Algeria 1-2 (1-0)/Mutyaba 10 – Aouar 46, Benrahma 58/22:00: (1.30) Ghana (5.00) Central African Republic (12.0)22:00: (1.62) Burkina Faso (3.50) Sierra Leone (6.50)22:00: (1.85) Guinea (3.50) Mozambique (4.40)***odds are subject to change***
