Egypt football director rejects notion that Pharaohs are close to securing 2026 World Cup spot

Zamalek star Zizo celebrates his goal for Egypt against Ethiopia in World Cup qualifying on Friday. Photo Credit: Egyptian Football Association

Egypt football director Ibrahim Hassan, the twin of Egypt national team head coach Hossam Hassan, dismissed the idea that the team has secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite Friday's 2-0 victory over Ethiopia in the fifth round of qualifiers.

Egypt currently leads Group A with 13 points, five points ahead of closest rivals Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone after reaching the midpoint of the campaign.

When asked whether Egypt had already taken a significant step toward World Cup qualification, Ibrahim Hassan responded:

"We hope so, but we still have to face Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia again and Djibouti. I thank the players very much; they did what they had to do. We secured three very important points."

He declared: "We will return to Egypt for recovery so that the players can regain their full fitness because the next match will be difficult, especially since Sierra Leone won by three goals in this round."

Ibrahim Hassan also urged the Egyptian fans to support the team in the remaining qualifiers, stating:

"I hope there will be calls for the fans to attend the upcoming matches because we are representing Egypt, and we want to qualify for the World Cup."

Egypt will host Sierra Leone in Cairo on Tuesday, March 25, at 19:00 GMT in the sixth round of the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.