Mohamed Amoura, who scored twice for the national team against Somalia, has posted remarkable stats in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, elevating him to compete with Egyptian star Mohamed Salah for the top scorer award in the African qualifiers, and making him the leading star in “The Greens,” surpassing historic captain Riyad Mahrez in terms of numbers, importance, and impact, pending confirmation during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Wolfsburg German club star was the top scorer for the “Desert Warriors” in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers by scoring eight goals and providing four assists in 9 matches, meaning he contributed to 12 goals out of the 22 scored by the national team during the current World Cup qualifiers, representing 60 percent, highlighting the great importance of the former ES Sétif star in the calculations of national coach Vladimir Petkovic.

The transformation of the short-statured striker from a substitute player under former national coach Djamel Belmadi, who did not fully trust or give him the chance to shine, into a real scoring machine is undeniable.

It is agreed that Amoura greatly benefited from the trust of coach Vladimir Petkovic, who quickly placed his confidence in the fast striker of Wolfsburg after he used to be a substitute and joker player in “The Greens,” which allowed the son of Jijel city to give his best during the World Cup qualifiers.

The former Union Saint-Gilloise Belgian club player suffered early on with the national team from limited and less influential roles compared to other players who did not perform as well as him, before the situation changed with the arrival of Petkovic, who put all his trust in the Algerian speed train.

Moreover, Amoura enjoys tactical flexibility and clear brilliance when playing as a left winger, which has become the best option for him, as he always excels in this position compared to his performance when deployed as a pure striker.

The Wolfsburg forward benefits from his high speed and great ability to exploit spaces and gaps and penetrate from deep defense or the wings, features not common to all strikers, which allowed him to take advantage of these qualities against mostly heavy African national team defenses.

The former Lugano Swiss club striker has become an extraordinary star in the “Desert Warriors” lineup, enjoying strong support from his teammates, especially Riyad Mahrez, who are well aware of the rise in their teammate’s technical value and impact on the national team’s results, making him hugely popular among his peers.

Amoura has recently felt his value and responsibility as a star in “The Greens,” which has increased his confidence in his technical abilities, reflecting on his performance and stats on the field, surpassing strong names who started from Europe, such as Riyad Mahrez, Amine Gouiri, Houssem Aouar, and Ismaël Bennacer.

Amoura Ignites the Race for Top Scorer in African Qualifiers

International player Mohamed Amine Amoura, shining with the national team, ignited the race for top scorers in the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup after scoring a brace on Thursday against Somalia in a 3-0 victory, securing the team’s qualification to the World Cup finals scheduled in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

With his brace, Amoura raised his goal tally to eight (8) goals, ranking second in the scorers’ list tied with Gabonese player Bouanga and Malian player Doumbia, while Egyptian captain Mohamed Salah leads the ranking with 9 goals, having also scored twice in Egypt’s 3-0 win over Djibouti on Wednesday.

The opportunity remains for Amoura to increase his goal count in these qualifiers during the next match against Uganda on Tuesday at the Hussein-Aït Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou (17:00), for the tenth and final round.

The same opportunity is available to Malian striker Doumbia, who also has a chance to boost his tally when he plays with his national team in the tenth round match against Gambia scheduled for Friday evening.

This possibility comes amid the probable absence of Egyptian Mohamed Salah from Egypt’s match against Guinea-Bissau scheduled for Sunday evening at “Cairo Stadium,” as part of the last round of qualifiers.