🦅 Salah Celebrates World Cup Qualification from the Bench
Egypt captain Mohamed Salah made sure to be on the bench during the final minutes of the match against Guinea-Bissau at Cairo International Stadium, as the team wrapped up the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Salah’s presence came as a gesture to share the joy of qualification with his teammates amid a festive atmosphere in the stands.
⚽ Egypt’s Starting Lineup
Goalkeeper: Mohamed Sobhi 🧤
Defense: Mohamed Hany – Rami Rabia – Yasser Ibrahim – Mohamed Hamdy 🧱
Midfield: Mohanad Lasheen – Ahmed Nabil “Koka” – Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet ⚡
Attack: Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” – Ibrahim Adel – Mostafa Mohamed 🦅
🪄 Substitutes:
Mostafa Shobeir – Abdel Aziz Al-Balouti – Hossam Abdel Mageed – Amr El-Gazzar – Khaled Sobhi – Ahmed Eid – Mahmoud Saber – Mostafa Fathi – Osama Faisal.
🚫 Suspensions
Maron Attia (Al Ahly) and Hamdy Fathy (Al Wakrah) missed the match due to yellow card accumulation.
🏥 Injuries
Several key players were ruled out through injury, including:
Omar Marmoush (Manchester City)
Mohamed Abdelmonem
Emam Ashour
Mohamed Shehata
Nabil Emad “Dunga”
Their absence forced the coaching staff to rely on alternative options to maintain balance on the pitch.
🏆 Official World Cup Qualification
Egypt officially booked their ticket to the 2026 World Cup for the fourth time in history, after topping Group A in the African qualifiers with 23 points from 9 matches. The match against Guinea-Bissau was a formality after qualification had already been secured.
🗓️ World Cup Draw Date
FIFA has scheduled the World Cup draw for December 5 in Washington, D.C. 🇺🇸, with 48 teams participating for the first time in tournament history.
