Mohamed Salah and Egypt face crunch 2026 World Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso

Mohamed Salah can help Egypt secure a place at the 2026 World Cup finals when the Pharaohs face Burkina Faso on Tuesday.

Salah will lead the charge in what is a top-of-the-table African zone Group A qualifier which, if they win, will guarantee that Egypt will finish first with two matches to spare and clinch a spot at next year’s finals.

The Liverpool star scored a penalty when Egypt defeated Ethiopia 2-0 in Cairo on Friday with Manchester City attacker Omar Marmoush also firing home from the spot to maintain their five-point lead in the standings.

Salah’s latest strike meant he equalled the record for all-time top African scorer in World Cup qualifiers, leaving him tied with Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Islam Slimani (Algeria), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), and Moumouni Dagano (Burkina Faso) on 18 goals.

The Pharaohs have now netted 16 times in seven games, with Salah (seven) and Trezeguet (five) accounting for 12 with only Gabon’s Denis Bouang (eight) having scored more in the African qualifiers.

Burkina Faso go into the game on the back of a 6-0 demolition of bottom side Djibouti which included a double from Dango Ouattara, who joined Premier League side Brentford in a £42.5 million club-record move from Bournemouth this summer.

Ouattara scored and missed a penalty during the comprehensive win against 10-man Djibouti in Bissau.

Unlike Burkino Faso’s previous qualifiers, which were held in Morocco and Mali, Tuesday’s game is taking place at the renovated 4 August Stadium in Ouagadougou – site of Egypt’s 1998 Africa Cup of Nations final win over South Africa.

When the two teams clashed in Cairo last year, Egypt came out on top 2-1 with Trezeguet’s early brace sealing three points and their coach Hossam Hassan is prepared for another tough battle.

“The match against Burkina Faso will be tough – there are no weak opponents in African football. The hardest part is yet to come,” Hassan said.

“We are ready, even though the venue change was unexpected. They played all their earlier qualifiers in Morocco, but now they’ve insisted on hosting this one at home.”

Egypt are looking to secure a World Cup berth for only the third time in their history following appearances at the 1934, 1990, and 2018 finals.

That last tournament saw them finish bottom of Group A after losing all of their games against Uruguay (1-0), host nation Russia (3-1) and Saudi Arabia (2-1) – with Salah scoring both of Egypt’s goals but suffering with injury throughout.

“We’ve only made it to the World Cup three times. That’s not enough for a country like Egypt. We want to make it again,” Hassan added.

Another European-based African football icon has already sealed his spot at the finals being held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi continued his unforgettable 2025 by helping Morocco become the first African nation to qualify for the finals.

Hakimi was in the starting XI as the Atlas Lions battered 10-man Niger 5-0 thanks to two goals from Ismael Saibari and one each from Ayoub El Kaabi, Hamza Igamane and Azzedine Ounahi in Rabat on Saturday.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui hailed the performance of Hakimi – who won the Uefa Champions League with PSG in June after they destroyed Inter Milan 5-0 – after the match.

“I hope Hakimi wins the Ballon d’Or. We all dream of a Moroccan winning it,” Regragui said. “He played today while injured, he always gives so much … If anyone deserves it, it’s him.”

Morocco have won all six of their Group E games and are the only side across the nine African qualifying groups with a 100 per cent record.

“Six matches, six wins – even against teams that play with 10 men behind – it’s the start of the season for the players,” added Regragui, whose team are away to Zambia on Tuesday.

“It’s historic. We keep building on this dynamic. At the end, the most important thing is qualification. The bar is high. Now, the expectation is to win every game, and fans are right to demand this.”

At the last World Cup in Qatar, Morocco became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals, where they lost 2-0 to France.

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Killing of Qassem Suleimani

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15

Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered

UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered

Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered

Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered

Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered

Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered

Company info

Company name: Entrupy

Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist

Based: New York, New York

Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.

Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group’s jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.

Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.

Smart words at Make Smart Cool

Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.

Killing of Qassem Suleimani

The years Ramadan fell in May

RACE CARD

6.30pm Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.05pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m

7.40pm Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m

8.15pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 – Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m

8.50pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m

9.25pm Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m

KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas

Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa

Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

Rating: 3/5

The years Ramadan fell in May

The five pillars of Islam

Company%20profile

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ogram%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Kouatly%20and%20Shafiq%20Khartabil%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20On-demand%20staffing%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2050%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMore%20than%20%244%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%2C%20Aditum%20and%20Oraseya%20Capital%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Porsche Macan T: The Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm

Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto

Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec

Top speed: 232kph

Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km

On sale: May or June

Price: From Dh259,900

‘My Son’

Director: Christian Carion

Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis

Rating: 2/5

How green is the expo nursery?

Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery

An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo

Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery

Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape

The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides

All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality

Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country

Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow

Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site

Green waste is recycled as compost

Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs

Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers

About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer

Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.

Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months

Pakistan v New Zealand Test series

Pakistan: Sarfraz (c), Hafeez, Imam, Azhar, Sohail, Shafiq, Azam, Saad, Yasir, Asif, Abbas, Hassan, Afridi, Ashraf, Hamza

New Zealand: Williamson (c), Blundell, Boult, De Grandhomme, Henry, Latham, Nicholls, Ajaz, Raval, Sodhi, Somerville, Southee, Taylor, Wagner

Umpires: Bruce Oxerford (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG); TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS); Match referee: David Boon (AUS)

Tickets and schedule: Entry is free for all spectators. Gates open at 9am. Play commences at 10am

Killing of Qassem Suleimani

Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform’s annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
“We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country,” he said. “Quite why we’ve been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don’t know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat’s findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a “possible indicator of extremism” but it would not be banned.

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The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh960,000

Engine 3.9L twin-turbo V8

Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic

Power 661hp @8,000rpm

Torque 760Nm @ 3,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 11.4L / 100k

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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.

A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.

Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.

A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.

On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.

The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.

Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.

The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus