The CAF qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 26™ are entering the final stretch, with matchdays 7 and 8 scheduled for early next month before the concluding two rounds of fixtures in October.
Morocco, Egypt and Cabo Verde are among the nations on the verge of qualification as the race intensifies. With eye-catching contests lined up across the continent, FIFA highlights five blockbusters not to miss next month.
This clash will be a special occasion for Niger tactician Badou Zaki, as the former Morocco goalkeeper (78 caps) and two-time coach of the Atlas Lions (2002 to 2005 and 2014 to 2016) knows Moroccan football inside out. Back in March, the coach thought he had cracked the code to thwart the Moroccan juggernaut.
Walid Regragui’s men had other ideas, however, as they came from behind to win 2-1 late on and extend an unbeaten run that stretches back 18 months, to a 2-0 reversal against South Africa in the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16. The FIFA World Cup 2022™ semi-finalists could become the first African side to qualify if they secure victory and Tanzania fail to beat Congo.
Unbeaten at the top of their group, African powerhouses Egypt could book their ticket to the global showpiece with victories over Ethiopia and Burkina Faso (among other scenarios) next month. The Pharaohs continue to rely on a prolific attack spearheaded by Mohamed Salah, the top marksman in African qualifying with six goals. He will take on Arsene Kouassi, the young Lorient full-back who only made his debut for Burkina Faso in June. Egypt can also count on Trezeguet, whose tally of five includes a quick-fire brace within the opening eight minutes of a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture last June.
Burkina Faso, however, are no pushovers, with Lassina Traore and Bertrand Traore registering eight of their nation’s 13 goals in qualifying between them. The Stallions have their fate in their own hands – whether it involves pushing for one of the best runner-up berths to reach the play-offs or challenging for top spot – especially as they face basement boys Djibouti, who have just a single point, before this fixture.
Cabo Verde continue to make waves in African football, topping the group as they chase a historic first World Cup berth. Standing in their way are Cameroon, the continent’s record-holders with eight tournament appearances.
For the island nation, the real star is the collective. This united, fearless group are no strangers to turning heads, having reached the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals, where they bowed out 2-1 on penalties to South Africa following a goalless stalemate. The Indomitable Lions remain unbeaten and are the only side to have defeated the Blue Sharks in qualifying so far. That 4-1 win last June featured a double by Vincent Aboubakar, the top scorer in the group with four goals, while Bryan Mbeumo, who joined Manchester United this summer, is hot on his team-mate’s heels with three.
After featuring at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ with Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa captain and shot-stopper Ronwen Williams is now targeting a return to North America with Bafana Bafana, which could be signed and sealed in the upcoming international window. The Group C leaders host African heavyweights Nigeria, who boast six FIFA World Cup appearances and three continental titles.
Eric Chelle’s charges have revived their stuttering campaign thanks to a trio of Victor Osimhen goals: a brace in the 2-0 away success over Rwanda and the opener in the 1-1 stalemate at home to Zimbabwe. The striker clinched a record EUR 75 million move to Galatasaray in late July, the most expensive in Turkish football history, and will be pivotal to Nigeria’s hopes of returning to the global showpiece. In their previous meeting last June, Lazio midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s strike earned the Super Eagles a share of the spoils after Themba Zwane’s opener.
Côte d’Ivoire lead the way with one of the most formidable qualifying records, having notched up 14 goals without reply. Thanks to their dominance at both ends of the pitch, the Elephants top the pile but may need to wait until October to confirm their place at the FIFA World Cup 26, with Gabon keeping themselves within touching distance thanks to an impressive qualifying campaign (five wins, one defeat).
That only loss came against none other than Côte d’Ivoire last June, when Seko Fofana’s stunning strike proved to be the only goal in a tight encounter. With Sebastien Haller and Evann Guessand on one side and Denis Bouanga – the top scorer in Group F with five goals – and Jim Allevinah on the other, this second meeting promises to be far more open and free-scoring.
