Egypt's quest to secure an early qualification for the 2026 World Cup faced a setback following a 0-0 draw against Burkina Faso on Tuesday. The match, a Group A encounter held in Ouagadougou, saw a determined Egyptian side unable to break the deadlock, delaying their confirmed spot in the upcoming tournament.

With two games remaining in the qualifiers, Egypt currently leads Group A with 20 points, holding a five-point lead over Burkina Faso. As only the group winner automatically qualifies for the World Cup, the seven-time African champions now need two points from their final two matches to guarantee their participation in the 48-team tournament to be held in North America. Egypt is slated to face Djibouti and Guinea-Bissau in October.

The match against Burkina Faso saw Egypt face an early setback when Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush was forced off the field due to injury in the ninth minute. Despite this, Egypt created chances, with Trezeguet having an early effort saved by Burkina Faso goalkeeper Herve Koffi. In the 67th minute, Mohamed Salah set up Osama Faisal, but the substitute's strike was ruled offside. Late in the game, Mostafa Mohamed had two opportunities to snatch a winner, but could not convert.

Burkina Faso, playing at home, offered limited attacks, with Sunderland forward Bertrand Traore spearheading most of their efforts. In the latter stages of the match, Burkina Faso appeared to dominate possession, while Egypt maintained a solid defensive line.

Despite the draw, Egypt's coach, Hossam Hassan, celebrated the result, acknowledging that it brought his team closer to reaching the World Cup. Hassan had started with a five-defender formation, implementing a complex defensive strategy. He had earlier emphasized the difficulty of the match, stating, "The match against Burkina Faso will be tough; there are no weak teams in African football. The hardest part is yet to come".

In other World Cup qualifying matches, Morocco and Tunisia have already secured their places in the tournament. South Africa, the Group C leader, also had hopes of qualifying but were made to wait after a 1-1 draw with Nigeria. Cape Verde recorded a 1-0 victory over Cameroon, marking their fifth straight World Cup qualifying win. Senegal staged a comeback to win 3-2 against the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Ivory Coast remained atop Group F after a 0-0 draw with Gabon.