In a whirlwind start, Mahmoud Trezeguet scored twice, leading Mohamed Salah-led Egypt to a 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso in a World Cup matchday three showdown in Cairo on Thursday. Turkey-based Trezeguet netted with his head after three minutes and with his left foot after seven minutes, giving the Pharaohs a four-point lead over Guinea-Bissau in Group A.
Liverpool star Salah, returning to the national team after suffering a hamstring injury during the group stage at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, set up the first goal. Lassina Traore reduced the deficit 11 minutes into the second half, but Burkina Faso couldn’t avoid their first loss, slipping to third place.
Guinea-Bissau was surprisingly held to a 0-0 draw at home by Ethiopia and will now prepare to host Egypt on Monday. Egypt is among six countries boasting 100 percent records, despite Algeria sustaining a shock 2-1 home defeat by Guinea, with Aguibou Camara scoring the 63rd-minute winner.
Senegal needed to beat the visiting Democratic Republic of Congo to regain first place in Group B but were held to a 1-1 draw after Fiston Mayele equalized with five minutes remaining. The stalemate left Senegal two points behind Sudan, who won 2-0 in Mauritania, with the Congolese in third place.
Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew scored in added time as Ghana came from behind in Group I to triumph 2-1 over Mali, rising from fifth to second. Meanwhile, Libya climbed two places to the top of Group D after a 2-1 victory over Mauritius in the eastern coastal city of Benghazi.
Libya on Top
In a crucial match, Faisal al Badri converted a penalty for Libya, but 35-year-old Kevin Bru equalized for Mauritius. Ahmed Ekrawa then scored his second goal of the qualifying campaign before halftime, which proved to be the match-winner for the Mediterranean Knights.
Libya was reduced to 10 men in the 83rd minute when center-back Ali Youssef received a straight red card. This victory lifted Libya to seven points, three more than Cameroon and Cape Verde, who are set to meet in Yaounde on Saturday.
Libya is coached by Serbian Milutin Sredojevic, who has previously managed Rwanda, Uganda (twice), Zambia, and numerous African clubs.
In Group H, Malawi moved within three points of the group leaders Tunisia by securing a 3-1 win over São Tomé and Príncipe in Lilongwe. The outcome was predictable given that Malawi was 63 places higher than their opponents in the world rankings.
The home team started strong, with Chawanangwa Kaonga and Lanjesi Nkhoma scoring within 14 minutes. São Tomé halved the deficit after halftime through Denilson da Silva, but Chifundo Mphasi sealed the victory for Malawi by scoring 12 minutes from time.
Tunisia, seeking their third straight appearance at the World Cup finals, leads the group with nine points, followed by Namibia with seven and Malawi with six.
A Group E fixture between Congo Brazzaville and Niger was not played, reportedly due to a dispute over the venue. Originally scheduled for Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo across the Congo River from Brazzaville, the match location became contentious when the national stadium in Congo was deemed substandard.
However, the Brazzaville stadium was approved for international football after a last-minute inspection. When Niger insisted on playing in Kinshasa, Congo refused, leading to the match’s postponement.
