Africa’s first qualifying round for the FIFA World Cup 26™ finishes this month with two final matchdays. There are 34 national teams vying for the last seven direct qualifying slots for Canada, Mexico and the USA, but it doesn’t stop there.
The four best runners-up progress to CAF’s second qualifying round, a knockout competition played in November, with the winner earning a place in FIFA’s inter-confederation play-offs.
Which countries will emulate Morocco and Tunisia, who secured their coveted places last month? FIFA brings you up to speed, group by group, with all the key matches and what’s at stake in this final stretch.
Group A
Top spot looks destined for Egypt, who are unbeaten frontrunners and would seal qualification with a win against rock-bottom Djibouti, who are still searching for their first win. If Mohamed Salah and his teammates falter, they will have a second crack at redemption when they host Guinea-Bissau.
Therefore, Burkina Faso would need a miracle to take first place, but three points against Sierra Leone would be enough to secure them second place. A win for the Leone Stars, meanwhile, would see them draw level on points, meaning it could all be decided on the final matchday, especially as Guinea-Bissau remain mathematically in contention.
Group B
Last month saw Senegal stun DR Congo with a 3-2 thriller to snatch top spot. The Lions of Teranga now have their fate in their own hands, with only these two sides and Sudan still in with a chance of qualifying from the group. The Senegalese will go through on the second-to-last day if they manage to beat South Sudan and DR Congo fail to overcome Togo.
DR Congo will be looking to capitalise on Fiston Mayele’s fine form, who scored all three goals for his club Pyramids FC in their 3-1 victory over Al Ahli FC in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup™. Meanwhile, Sudan’s victory over Mauritania coupled with a poor performance by DR Congo in Togo would open the floodgates for a thrilling decider between the two nations.
Group C
Following South Africa’s sanction, this group has been given a new lease of life, with four countries separated by just three points. Benin occupy top spot on goal difference, one goal ahead of Bafana Bafana, while both teams are set to face Rwanda, who are level with Nigeria, just three points behind. Steve Mounie’s team-mates (top scorer in this group with five goals) are now just two matches away from their first qualification for the World Cup.
Likewise, Nigeria and Rwanda are still in the running for the top two spots in a tantalisingly close group. Only a third of the matches have been decided by more than one goal difference. Zimbabwe is the only side already eliminated, which leaves Lesotho still in contention for second place.
Group D
Cabo Verde are just one win away from qualifying for their first-ever FIFA World Cup™. Home to just 500,000 islanders, the archipelago will punch their ticket to the finals with a win over Libya or Eswatini. It would cap off a sensational campaign that included a 1-0 win over Cameroon last month.
Meanwhile, the Indomitable Lions (the only team to have beaten Cabo Verde, 4-1 in June 2024) may yet fancy their chances of winning their group if the results go their way. The same applies to Libya, whose next match in Tripoli is crucial. If you add Angola’s ongoing bid for second place to the mix, it’s not hard to see why you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled during these last two matchdays.
Group E
Morocco have been dominant in this group, winning all their matches so far and becoming the first African nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. With first place guaranteed, the Atlas Lions now have only one remaining objective, which is to crown their perfect qualifying campaign by defeating already-eliminated Congo.
While Tanzania are virtually guaranteed second place, they have played one game more than their two closest challengers, Niger and Zambia, who will face each other on the final matchday in what could be a decisive encounter. The first leg ended in a 2-1 win for Niger, who beat Tanzania 1-0 in their last match to set themselves up for the dash to the finish line.
Group F
Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon continue to do battle at the top of this group. Only one point separates them with two matchdays to go, after they shared the spoils in their last encounter (0-0). Having already secured the top two spots, they will now square off from a distance. However, the Elephants go into the final stretch with a twofold advantage, not only in terms of points (and goal difference) but also in terms of their fixture list. They are set to face the bottom two teams in the group, while Gabon will take on their two pursuers.
Denis Bouanga’s team-mates (top scorer in the African qualifiers with eight goals) will have their work cut out for them if they are to claim the group’s top spot. Nevertheless, Gabon remain in pole position to finish among the four best runners-up.
Group G
Algeria are within touching distance of qualifying for their fifth World Cup, and all they need to do to seal the deal is beat Botswana, who sit second from bottom in the group. Qualification would make it an unprecedented treble for North African countries, with Morocco and Tunisia having already secured their places at the World Cup.
Any other result, however, would leave the door open for an exciting finale. Algeria’s last match sees them take on Uganda, who are currently second in the group after beating Mozambique 4-0 last month. The match in Tizi Ouzou has the potential to make or break the race for first place. Meanwhile, Mozambique remain hot on the heels of the leading duo, hoping for a slip-up that would keep their adventure alive.
Group H
With qualification in the bag, Tunisia hope to complete their campaign unbeaten, facing São Tomé and Príncipe (bottom of the table without a single point) before hosting a Namibia side who will no doubt have other ideas. Peter Shalulile and his team-mates currently occupy second place and will be gunning for a spot as one of the best runners-up.
First they play Liberia, who are in hot pursuit and, like them, dream of a maiden World Cup qualification. However, they are not the only ones. Malawi and Equatorial Guinea are still within striking distance of a place in the second qualifying round in this particularly competitive group behind the Eagles of Carthage, all the more so as they will face each other on an exciting final matchday.
Group I
It’s crunch time in this group, where three teams are still jostling for top spot. The battle could last until the final whistle… or be decided as early as matchday nine. If the Black Stars beat the Central African Republic and Madagascar fails to beat the Comoros, Ghana will officially book their place for their fifth World Cup.
In turn, second place is also still up for grabs, as three teams are within four points of each other and will play out two head-to-heads. Top scorers include Rayan Raveloson for Madagascar, Myziane Maolida for the Comoros, and Kamory Doumbia for Mali.
Photos : CAF
