African teams edge closer to 2026 World Cup as final qualifiers begin
Morocco and Tunisia have already secured qualification after topping Groups E and H, while Egypt could join them on Wednesday with a win over bottom-placed Djibouti in Group A.
Seven more African teams are poised to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America as the continent’s group qualifiers enter their final week.
Morocco and Tunisia have already booked their places after topping Groups E and H, respectively. Egypt could join them on Wednesday with a win over bottom-placed Djibouti in Group A. The Pharaohs currently lead the group with 20 points, five ahead of second-placed Burkina Faso, with two matches remaining.
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In Group B, Senegal hold a two-point lead over the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and will qualify if they win their remaining matches against South Sudan on Friday and Mauritania next Tuesday.
Group C, however, remains wide open after South Africa were docked three points for fielding a suspended player against Lesotho, dropping them to 14 points and behind Benin on goal difference.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee overturned Bafana Bafana’s 2-0 win from March, ruling that midfielder Teboho Mokoena was ineligible to play while serving a suspension. Lesotho were awarded a 3-0 victory, while the South African Football Association (SAFA) was fined 10,000 Swiss francs (about Sh1.6 million), and Mokoena received an official warning.
Benin face Rwanda on Friday and Nigeria next Tuesday, while South Africa host Zimbabwe on Friday and Rwanda on Tuesday. Nigeria and Rwanda are third and fourth in the group with 11 points each, though Nigeria enjoy a better goal difference.
In Group D, Cape Verde—who lead by four points over Cameroon—can qualify with a win in either of their last two matches against Libya on Wednesday or Eswatini next Monday. Cape Verde top the group with 19 points, while Cameroon trail with 15.
Ivory Coast lead Group F by a single point over Gabon and can seal qualification by beating Seychelles on Friday and Kenya on October 14. Kenya, currently on nine points after eight matches, have recorded two wins, three draws, and three losses.
In Group G, Algeria need just a point against Somalia on Thursday to confirm qualification. They currently lead with 19 points, while Mozambique and Uganda follow with 15 points each.
Ghana could also secure top spot in Group I with a win over the Central African Republic on Wednesday, provided Madagascar drop points against The Comoros. The Black Stars lead the group with 19 points, three ahead of Madagascar.
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