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Seven Places at Stake in African Qualifying for 2026 FIFA World Cup

With the group stage of African qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup reaching its climax, seven spots are still up for grabs. Only the nine group winners will automatically qualify for the expanded 48-team tournament, while the four best second-placed teams will enter play-offs to determine their fate.

Morocco and Tunisia have already secured their places, but several other nations are on the brink of making history. Cape Verde is one win away from achieving a first-ever appearance at the World Cup, while Egypt and Algeria need three points from their next two games to secure top spot in their respective groups.

The play-off route involves the four best-ranked second-placed sides, who will compete in November. The winners of these play-offs will then get another chance to qualify via an intercontinental route. However, with continental heavyweights like Cameroon and Nigeria in danger of missing out, the race for the remaining spots has become increasingly intense.

Group A – Pharaohs on Brink of Qualification

Egypt currently holds a five-point lead over Burkina Faso and is expected to seal qualification with a victory against Djibouti on Wednesday (16:00 GMT). The East Africans, who are at the bottom of the group, have only managed one point from eight matches so far.

If Egypt suffers a shock defeat, they will host Guinea-Bissau on Sunday. Burkina Faso remains the favorite to finish second, facing Sierra Leone and Ethiopia in their upcoming fixtures. Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau also have slim hopes of securing second place.

Possible group winners: Egypt, Burkina Faso

Group B – Senegal in Driving Seat

Senegal has taken control of Group B after coming from 2-0 down to beat DR Congo last month, giving them a one-point lead over the Leopards. The Teranga Lions will face South Sudan on Friday and then host Mauritania, needing two wins to secure a third consecutive World Cup qualification.

DR Congo must hope that West African teams slip up while also securing maximum points in their games against Togo and Sudan. Sudan needs to win both of their games and see Senegal lose twice to have any chance of topping the group, but finishing second is still possible if they beat the Congolese.

Possible group winners: Senegal, DR Congo, Sudan

Group C – Advantage Benin After Bafana Sanction

After FIFA ruled that South Africa fielded an ineligible player, the standings in Group C have shifted dramatically. A 2-0 win for Bafana Bafana was changed to a 3-0 forfeit, wiping out what was a three-point lead. Benin now leads the group on goal difference, followed closely by South Africa.

Nigeria and Rwanda are three points behind but still have a chance to qualify. Benin will face Rwanda and Nigeria in their final games, while Bafana go to Zimbabwe and then host Rwanda. Nigeria, a three-time continental champion, must win both of their games, but even maximum points may not be enough to be among the best second-placed teams.

Possible group winners: Benin, South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda, Lesotho

Group D - Blue Sharks Poised to Make History

Cape Verde's surprising 1-0 home victory over Cameroon has put them four points clear in Group D. The Blue Sharks know that a win from either their trip to Libya or their home clash against Eswatini will secure a historic maiden World Cup qualification for a country with fewer than 530,000 inhabitants.

Cameroon could still qualify on goal difference if they beat Mauritius and Angola while Cape Verde draw both games. Alternatively, if Cameroon picks up four points and Cape Verde loses both games, they could still make it. Libya, currently a point behind Cameroon, also has a chance to finish top if results go their way.

Possible group winners: Cape Verde, Cameroon, Libya

Group E – Battle for Second Place

Morocco has already qualified with two games to spare, and a victory over Congo-Brazzaville would see the Atlas Lions end the campaign with a 100% record. Tanzania, Niger, and Zambia are separated by four points and are battling for second place, but reaching the play-offs could prove difficult.

Group winners: Morocco (qualified)

Group F – Elephants Narrowly Ahead of Panthers

Ivory Coast holds a one-point lead over Gabon after a 0-0 draw in Franceville in September. The Elephants travel to the Seychelles on Friday and then entertain Kenya next Tuesday. Gabon faces an away game against The Gambia and then hosts Burundi.

If Gabon wins both games and fails to overtake Ivory Coast, the Panthers look set to guarantee a place in the play-offs.

Possible group winners: Ivory Coast, Gabon

Group G – Algeria Close to Qualification

Algeria, with a four-point advantage, knows that one win from their games against already-eliminated Somalia and second-placed Uganda will secure top spot. Uganda is only ahead of Mozambique on goal difference in the battle for second.

The Cranes travel to Botswana in their first game on Thursday before their visit to North Africa, while Mozambique entertain Guinea before their away game against Somalia.

Possible group winners: Algeria, Uganda, Mozambique

Group H – Namibia Aim to Secure Second

Tunisia has already secured top spot with two games remaining, and Namibia look odds-on to secure second. The Brave Warriors are four points ahead of Liberia and five ahead of Malawi and Equatorial Guinea.

Namibia go to Liberia on Thursday before ending with a trip to Tunis. The Lone Stars visit the Equatoguineans in the final round next Monday.

Group winners: Tunisia (qualified)

Group I – Black Stars in Control

Three sides are competing for the automatic qualifying position, with Ghana holding a three-point lead over Madagascar, and Comoros a further point behind. The West Africans travel to Central African Republic on Wednesday and Comoros entertain the Malagasy the same day.

Ghana will qualify if they win and Madagascar fail to pick up three points. The Black Stars finish their campaign with a vital home match against Comoros on Sunday, while Madagascar go to Mali in the final round of games.

Possible group winners: Ghana, Madagascar, Comoros

The Play-Off Route

The four best second-placed teams across the nine groups will enter African play-offs in November. Gabon, Madagascar, DR Congo, and Burkina Faso have the best records after eight matches.

However, due to Eritrea’s withdrawal from Group E, the rankings may be adjusted to remove results against the sixth-placed finisher in each group. This change could benefit Cameroon and South Africa while dropping Madagascar and Burkina Faso from the top four.

Neither FIFA nor the Confederation of African Football has made an official announcement on this matter. Much could change over the final two rounds of qualifiers, especially since the bottom place is yet to be decided in six of the groups, which would significantly alter the rankings.

The play-off format is also yet to be announced, but the overall winner will progress to intercontinental qualifiers scheduled for March next year.