Tag: Burkina Faso

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Salah scores twice as Egypt qualify for 2026 World Cup

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah scored twice to help Egypt beat Djibouti 3-0 in Casablanca on Wednesday and qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The 33-year-old has now netted nine times in a marathon qualifying campaign that began two years ago, and victory for Egypt gave them an unassailable five-point lead over Burkina Faso in Group A.

Twice African Footballer of the Year, Salah helped Liverpool win the Premier League a record-equalling 20th time last season, and captured the Golden Boot award with 29 goals.

But the Egypt captain has lost his spark with Liverpool this season, scoring just three goals in nine matches in all competitions.

After Ibrahim Adel put Egypt ahead on eight minutes against opponents 158 places lower in the world rankings, Salah netted six minutes later and again on 84 minutes.

While Egypt have won the Africa Cup of Nations a record seven times, they have been less successful in the World Cup, qualifying just four times in 15 attempts — in 1934, 1990, 2018 and now 2026.

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey was among the goals as Ghana trounced the Central African Republic 5-0 in Meknes, and need one point from their final Group I match at home to Comoros to qualify.

Mohammed Salisu, Alexander Djiku, captain Jordan Ayew and Kamaldeen Sulemana were the other scorers for the Black Stars, who led 1-0 at half-time.

Ghana have 22 points and a vastly superior goal difference than Madagascar, who are three points behind. Mali, seeded to win the group, are out of contention with 15 points.

Cape Verde came from two goals behind in Tripoli to draw 3-3 with Libya and edge closer to a first World Cup appearance.

The island nation of about 550,000 inhabitants off the coast of Senegal will clinch first place in Group D if they defeat Eswatini in Praia on Monday.

Known as the Blue Sharks, the Cape Verdeans are two points ahead of Cameroon, who beat Mauritius 2-0 in Saint-Pierre with Manchester United striker Bryan Mbeumo scoring.

Cape Verde have 20 points after nine rounds, two more than Cameroon, the eight World Cup appearances in an African team. (Punch)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Military-run Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso announce joint ICC withdrawal

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, three nations in West Africa run by military governments after coups in recent years, have announced their exit from the International Criminal Court (ICC), referring to it as “neocolonial repression” and accusing the judicial body of selective justice.

In a joint statement on Monday night, the three countries said the ICC had become incapable of prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and genocide without elaborating.

“[The ICC is an] instrument of neocolonial repression in the hands of imperialism,” the joint statement read, adding that the countries were seeking more “sovereignty”.

The three states added that they wanted to create “indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice”.

The three countries, which are ruled by military officers, have already left the Economic Community of West African States and instead formed their own bloc known as the Alliance of Sahel States.

Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have also rolled back defence cooperation with Western powers, most notably their former colonial ruler, France, and opted for closer ties with Russia.

The countries’ withdrawal from the ICC was not unexpected after the coups that brought the military to power in the three states from 2020 to 2023.

Within the three countries, the military governments are fighting armed groups linked to al-Qaeda that control territory and have staged attacks on army posts.

Human Rights Watch and other advocacy groups have accused the fighters, the military and partner forces of Burkina Faso and Mali of possible atrocities.

United Nations experts said in April that the alleged summary executions of several dozen civilians by Malian forces might amount to war crimes.

Moreover, the ICC has had an investigation open in Mali since 2013 over alleged war crimes committed in the northern regions of Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, which had fallen under the control of armed groups.

Withdrawal from the ICC takes effect one year after the decision is submitted to the UN General Secretariat. (AlJazeera)