W’Cup qualifiers: Salah dazzles as Egypt trash Djibouti 6-0
Mohamed Salah scored four times as Egypt trounced Djibouti 6-0 in their opening Group A match at Cairo International Stadium in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Salah’s performance makes him Egypt’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup qualifiers with 15 goals. It also increased his overall tally for Egypt to 53 in 93 appearances as they look for a place at the 2026 finals, having missed out on the Qatar World Cup last year.
Becoming your nation’s all time #WCQ top goal-scorer, one super-hatrrick at a time. 😏🇪🇬
⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️@MoSalah | @EgyptNT_En pic.twitter.com/eQv5bmliNw
— CAF (@CAF_Online) November 16, 2023
Salah had a hat trick in the first half-hour of the match and his fourth goal came in the 68th minute. The Pharaohs completed the goal haul in the 75th and 89th minutes through efforts from Mostafa Mohamed and Trézéguet respectively.
Mohamed Salah scoring for Egypt!
🇪🇬👑 pic.twitter.com/s7yvQVA4cw
— Watch LFC (@Watch_LFC) November 16, 2023
Salah carried his goal-scoring spree from Liverpool to Cairo. With Liverpool, Salah has scored 12 goals in all competitions — including twice in the 3-0 win over Brentford in the Premier League. Salah is the first player in Liverpool history to score in the first six home games of a league season.
Mo Salah’s second goal for Egypt!
— Watch LFC (@Watch_LFC) November 16, 2023
In other matches, Nigeria was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Lesotho, Algeria beat Somalia 3-1, Burundi edged Gambia 3-2, Mozambique defeated Botswana 3-2, Gabon beat Kenya 2-1 and Sudan held Togo to a 1-1 draw.
Also Read: Super Eagles trigger-ready to secure W/Cup ticket
Nine teams from Africa will qualify directly for the 48-team World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. A 10th team could make the field through the playoffs.
The Nigerians were surprisingly held to a draw by one of the continent’s smallest countries. The host team controlled much of the possession at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, but Lesotho took the lead early in the second half when defender Motlomelo Mkhawanazi rose unmarked to put the Crocodiles ahead with a thumping header.
Victor Boniface, a forward who plays for Bayer Leverkusen, equalized with another free header from a cross by Kelechi Iheanacho.
Lesotho has never qualified for the African Cup of Nations, let alone the World Cup.
