Will Mane do double over Salah, who will be in Qatar between Ronaldo and Chiellini
The Pharaohs are hell-bent on reaching a fourth World Cup, while their opponents this month are bidding for a third appearance on the biggest stage of them all.
Liverpool club mates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are set to do battle against each other once again when Egypt face Senegal with a spot at the World Cup on the line. The first leg of their qualifying play-off will take place in Cairo on March 25.
After that, there is just a four-day gap between the second leg, which is set to be held on March 29 in Senegal. Between that fateful period, one of these nations will be heading to Qatar, and the other will be consumed by disappointment.
Last time out, it was Mane who enjoyed the last laugh. He scored the decisive penalty to help Senegal beat Salah and Co in the Africa Cup of Nations final. The clash finished goalless at the end of the extra-time, before the tense shootout.
A close encounter has been predicted between these two heavyweights once again.
The Pharaohs are hell-bent on reaching a fourth World Cup, while their opponents this month are bidding for a third appearance on the biggest stage of them all.
Both sides went to the World Cup in Russia in 2018, but crashed out in the group stage. In their bid to remain on the road to Qatar, they will first have to triumph in their own star-studded showdown, in which Salah and Mane will take the spotlight.
Italy and Portugal's World Cup showdown
It's been a testing season for Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United, and it could yet get even worse for him. That is because, sensationally, Portugal are at real risk of failing to qualify for the World Cup - a previously unthinkable prospect.
The suspense can be traced all the way back to Aleksandar Mitrovic's last-gasp winner for Serbia against Ronaldo and Co. His goal helped his team qualify for Qatar and, in the same swoop, condemned Portugal to the play-off route.
That also meant that one of Italy and Portugal, both giants of the globe, would not make the finals, given they were drawn on the same qualification pathway.
Italy and Portugal make up part of the 10 second-placed finishers from their groups, and they find themselves on the same route as North Macedonia and Turkey.
The former will take on North Macedonia, while Portugal were drawn with the latter.
Euro 2020 winners Italy could miss out on their second consecutive World Cup, while Portugal have reached the prestigious tournament every time since 2002.
