WC Qualifiers Africa: Burkina Faso - Egypt

Ahead of hosting Egypt on September 9 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso boosted their confidence by thrashing Djibouti 6-0 on September 5 in the seventh round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.


Due to the absence of a CAF-approved stadium, Djibouti hosted Burkina Faso in Guinea-Bissau at the 24 de Setembro Stadium for this match in the seventh round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Total dominance from the start

From the 13th minute, Dango Ouattara had a golden chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot after a deliberate handball that saw Yabi Siad sent off in the 10th minute. However, the Brentford winger missed the penalty. But the Stallions wasted no time regaining their stride. Eric Kalo broke the deadlock in the 15th minute with a solo effort, marking his first goal for Burkina Faso. The Freiburg winger set the tone for a goal-scoring festival.

Joussé Tiandrébéogo doubled the lead in the 25th minute, further strengthening Burkina Faso's advantage. Then, defender Edmond Tapsoba turned goal scorer, netting a brace just before halftime—in the 36th and 43rd minutes. The Stallions went into the break with a comfortable 4-0 lead.

The dominance continued after the restart. Dango Ouattara, making up for his earlier penalty miss, scored a stunning free-kick in the 59th minute. He was then given a second chance from the spot in the 86th minute, and this time the former Bournemouth and Lorient star made no mistake, rounding off the scoreline at 6-0.

The perfect tune-up before the final

This emphatic win cemented Burkina Faso's position in second place in Group A. Captain Bertrand Traoré and his teammates now have 14 points, just two behind group leaders Egypt, who will play their round-seven fixture against Ethiopia at 19:00 GMT. Now, coach Brahima Traoré and his staff are fully focused on the next challenge—the decisive clash against Mohamed Salah and his Egyptian squad. This encounter is widely seen as the Group A final and will be played on September 9 at the August 4 Stadium in Ouagadougou—a match that will be crucial for Burkina Faso's hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup

Victories over Ethiopia and Burkina Faso will guarantee World Cup qualification for Hossam Hassan's team, and their record against both sides is exceptional.
Egypt are looking to take another step towards World Cup 26
The Pharaohs will face Ethiopia and Burkina Faso in September's qualifiers
History points to a clear advantage for Hossam Hassan’s side
Back in 1998, Hossam Hassan scored a brace against hosts Burkina Faso in the semi-finals of the 1998 CAF Africa Cup of Nations. That represented one of his finest footballing moments, and it was made even more special by the fact his Egypt side went on to win the title.

Hassan will return to Burkina Faso in September, this time as Egypt coach, to lead the nation in a clash of enormous importance, and one that could earn the Pharaohs qualification to FIFA World Cup 26™. Before that, though, they will face a stern test against Ethiopia at home.
Hassan’s side currently top Group A in the CAF qualifiers and wins in both games would guarantee their spot at the global finals. They could also qualify without maximum points if other results go their way.

Egypt, however, will be intent on doing the job themselves and, as FIFA explores, history bodes well for them as they prepare for the battles ahead.
: Overwhelming dominance
Egypt and Ethiopia share a long history, having faced off 17 times. The Pharaohs boast 12 victories, with Ethiopia winning three times and the sides playing out two draws.

Their 18th meeting will be staged at Cairo International Stadium on 5 September, and Egypt will be buoyed by the fact their record against Ethiopia in the capital is entirely one-sided. Not only have the Egyptians won all six of their matches in Cairo, they have done so by a cumulative score of 26-3.
Burkina Faso v Egypt: Never beaten
Next up for Egypt is a clash with Burkina Faso, who are currently second in Group A and five points behind Hassan's table-topping side. The teams will face off in Ouagadougou on 9 September and, again, the head-to-head record is in favour of the Pharaohs. Overall, in eight matches against Burkina Faso, Egypt have recorded five victories and three draws.

👟 @14 elegantly assists ➡️ @Hossam9Hassan sends a rocket into Burkina Faso's goal 🎯

That's how the @Pharaohs made their way to the 1998 #TotalAFCON final! ✅ pic.twitter.com/M7VovbJKQW

— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) May 31, 2021

This encounter also carries special significance, of course, evoking memories of 1998 and Hassan’s brilliance against Burkina Faso in that Africa Cup of Nations semi-final. Now, as the Pharaohs aspire to return to the World Cup after missing out on Qatar 2022, Egyptians are hopeful that Hassan can inspire another famous moment in the nation's football history.

The Egyptian national team will play an important match at 7:00 PM tomorrow (Tuesday) against Burkina Faso at the August 4 Stadium in the capital, Ouagadougou, as part of the eighth round of Group A of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

(The official website of the Egyptian Football Association) highlights the only competitor to captain Mohamed Salah's teammates for a World Cup ticket, discussing their results in the qualifiers, their most prominent stars, and their most significant achievements in the following report:

A Strong Comeback

The national team, nicknamed "The Stallions," started its qualifying campaign weakly, dropping seven points in the first four rounds. They drew 1-1 against Guinea-Bissau in the opening round and 2-2 against Sierra Leone in the fourth round. They suffered their first defeat to Egypt (1-2) in the third round, and achieved a single victory over Ethiopia (3-0) at the Ben Ahmed El Abdi Stadium in the Moroccan city of El Jadida.

The start of the fifth round marked a real turning point in the journey of one of the rising powers in African football over the past 12 years. Burkina Faso secured a perfect record with three wins over Djibouti (4-1), Guinea-Bissau (2-1), and Djibouti again (6-0), also away from home. This victory restored their reputation as a strong competitor to Egypt for a World Cup ticket, according to all expectations before the start of the qualifiers.

Under the leadership of their national coach, Brama Traoré, Burkina Faso has played 15 matches, including official and friendly matches, winning seven, drawing three, and losing five. The 63-year-old coach often uses a 4-3-3 formation, but occasionally switches to a 4-2-3-1. However, he used a 4-5-1 formation in the last match against Djibouti.

Full List of Professional Players

Bram Traoré, who took over as coach of the Burkina Faso national team on March 11, 2024, succeeding Frenchman Hubert Velud, has selected 21 players for the matches against Djibouti and Egypt in Rounds 7 and 8. The full list includes professionals, including 14 players from European clubs in England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Wales, Scotland, Ukraine, Slovakia, and Moldova. Additionally, two players from the United States and five players from Arab clubs in Algeria, Sudan, and Qatar are also included in the Egyptian Premier League: Saeed Simbori, defender for Al-Ahly Bank, and Ibrahim Blati Touré, midfielder for Pyramids FC, winner of the last edition of the CAF Champions League.

Bayer Leverkusen's 26-year-old Edmond Tapsoba is one of Burkina Faso's most important players, and he is the most expensive signing ever, worth €35 million. He is joined in the backline by his teammate Nacer Djiga of Glasgow Rangers, and veteran Sunderland winger Bertrand Traoré, 30. The other players are Brentford's 23-year-old winger Dangou Ouattara, who has been his country's top contributor to goals in the qualifiers with seven (4 goals + 3 assists). They also include Shakhtar Donetsk's rising Ukrainian striker Lassina Traoré, 21, who scored the Stallions' goal against Egypt in the third round and is the team's top scorer in the qualifiers with five goals. Traoré missed the previous match against Djibouti due to injury. A Promising African Power

Despite never qualifying for the World Cup and failing to achieve any continental success in its early years, Burkina Faso, ranked 12th in Africa and 63rd in the world with 1,386.06 points, has established itself as a rising power and has been ambitious since 1998, when it reached the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations that year under the leadership of renowned French coach Philippe Troussier. Taking advantage of the tournament's home ground, they lost in the semi-finals to Egypt (0-2), led by current coach Hossam Hassan. They then reached the final of the 2013 edition, losing 1-0 to Nigeria at the National Bank Stadium in Johannesburg. They also qualified for the semi-finals of the 2021 edition in Cameroon.

At the youth and junior level, the success was much greater, as the Burkina Faso U-17 national team won the African title in 2011 in Rwanda after defeating the hosts (2-1) in the final match. Before that, it qualified for the final match in the 1999 edition in Guinea, losing to Ghana (1-3), and in 2001 in Seychelles, also losing to Nigeria (0-3). Then it finished third in the 2009 and 2023 editions in Algeria, after defeating Malawi (2-0) and Mali (2-1). It also won the bronze medal at the 2001 Trinidad and Tobago World Cup, after defeating Argentina (2-0).

The Egyptian national football team moved closer to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup after a 0-0 draw with Burkina Faso in the eighth round of Group A at the August 4 Stadium in Ouagadougou, the capital. The match was refereed by Congolese referee Jesse Nkunku.

Hossam Hassan changed the style of play to suit the match and the team's absences, and played a balanced match. He deployed the trio of Ahmed Eid on the right side, and Marawan Attia and Ahmed Nabil "Koka" in midfield to compensate for the absence of Hamdi Fathy. On the offensive side, the trio of Mohamed Salah and Mahmoud Hassan "Trezeguet" were present on the wings, with Omar Marmoush as the outright striker.

In front of a large crowd of fans, the home side started the match with fervor. Midfielder Mohamed Zograna's aggressive tackle injured Omar Marmoush in the fourth minute. Egypt's chances were threatened when Trezeguet fired a shot wide of goalkeeper Hervé Koffi's left post in the sixth minute. Rami Rabia made a brilliant intervention in the same minute, clearing the way for goal scorer Dangoo Ouattara.

In the ninth minute, Egypt made their first forced substitution, replacing the injured Marmoush with Osama Faisal. In the 19th minute, coach Brama Traoré's side showed their first signs of danger with a header that went over Mohamed El-Shenawy's goal. The Pharaohs' response was quick to take long, as Trezeguet unleashed another shot that Koffi effortlessly controlled.

In the second half, the initiative was also Egyptian, as Salah passed to Trezeguet, who shot into the defense. The ball then came back to him, and he shot into the goalkeeper's reach in the 53rd minute. The Stallions responded with a shot that went wide of El-Shenawy's right post. After that, the team took control of the game, and Osama Faisal scored with a header in the 66th minute, following an attack led by Mohamed Hamdy from the left side, but the assistant referee flagged him offside. In the 85th minute, Hossam Hassan made three substitutions at once, bringing on Mostafa Mohamed, Ahmed Mostafa "Zizo", and Mohand Lasheen for Osama Faisal, Trezeguet, and Ahmed Nabil "Koka." The danger lay in the direction of goalkeeper Kofi's goal, as Mostafa Mohamed slowed down after receiving a pass from Salah and missed a chance in the 86th minute. Then, Zizo cleared a dangerous opportunity from inside the Egyptian penalty area a minute later. Mostafa Mohamed wasted another opportunity in the 89th minute when he broke free on the right side and fired a cross. In the third minute of stoppage time, the Nantes striker almost decided the match and handed the team a ticket to qualify, but he also missed the opportunity. With this draw, Egypt's team raised its tally to 20 points, continuing its lead at the top of Group A, 5 points ahead of Burkina Faso. It now needs two points from the matches against Djibouti and Guinea-Bissau in the ninth and tenth rounds to secure top spot and reach the finals for the fourth time in its history.