Ethiopia, Egypt drawn in Group A for 2026 FIFA WC qualifier
Addis Ababa, July 13, 2023 (FBC) – The Ethiopia national football team (The Walias) have been drawn with Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Djibouti in the same group (Group A) for the 2026 FIFA World Cup African zone qualifiers.
The draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup African zone group qualiers was held today in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast.
The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF)’s note published on social media indicates that Ethiopia national team will face the African football powerhouse, Egypt national team (the Pharaohs), for the second time in group games in less than a year.
Recall that the two teams are in group D of the AFCON 2023 qualifiers, where the Walias stunned Egypt by beating them 2-0 in the first leg of their meeting in Malawi last year. They are also set to meet again in September 2023 for the return leg of the AFCON qualifier.
Though the Pharaohs have booked their spot in the AFCON 2024, to be held in Ivory Coast, they will still look to avenge the first leg defeat when the meet in Cairo on September 4.
Yet, the latest draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers means the two national teams are set to rekindle their historic rivalry on the pitch yet again.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be host by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. For the first time in the history of FIFA World Cup, 48 teams will compete in the 2026 tournament.
The African continent’s teams were classified into six levels according to the latest FIFA classification, divided into nine groups, where the first-place teams in each group will qualify for the World Cup directly.