Media figure Ahmed Shobair, a former Al Ahly star, revealed a surprise regarding the venue for the Egypt vs. Djibouti match in the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Shobair stated during his radio program: "I asked one of the senior sports officials in Egypt during a phone call yesterday about the Egypt vs. Djibouti match and whether it would be played in Egypt. He told me: No. I asked him why, as people in Djibouti are welcoming. He said: Look, I have a problem. If we had done this a month ago, it would have been fine, but now I still have a competitor, Burkina Faso, yes, the gap is 5 points, and we are practically very close to qualifying. The gap is very large between us and Djibouti, but I do not want any doubts to overshadow my qualification, and we will play in Morocco."

He continued: "I told him, well, Niger faced Morocco in Morocco. He replied: Niger has already determined its stadium to be Morocco before playing the qualifiers. As for celebrations, we will celebrate in the Guinea-Bissau match in Egypt four days later at Cairo Stadium."

The Egyptian national team is preparing to face Djibouti during the international break from October 6 to 15, and it is scheduled to take place in Morocco.