African qualification for FIFA World Cup 2026 is nearing its completion with a host of countries vying for a coveted spot at next year’s tournament.
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A total of nine spots in the tournament and one inter-confederation playoff slot are reserved for CAF teams.
That’s double the five spots at previous World Cups.
New qualification format
Due to nine CAF teams now directly qualifying instead of five, the CAF Executive Committee announced a new qualification format.
Teams were drawn into nine groups of six teams. The winner of each group will directly qualify to the World Cup, while the four best group runners-up will participate in playoffs to determine which team will advance to the inter-confederation playoffs.
Each team will play 10 matches.
At the time of publishing, some groups have played eight matches, while others have played nine.
While several groups will only be decided on the final day of qualifiers next week, three group winners have already been decided.
In Group A, Egypt are assured of topping the group as the Pharaohs lie five points ahead of Burkina Faso with just one match remaining.
Thanks to Liverpool star Mo Salah, Egypt will return to the World Cup for the first time since Russia in 2018. Prior to that, their last appearance was in 1990 in Italy.
Meanwhile, in Group E, Morocco are a yawning nine points clear of second-place Niger with just one match to play and also assured of a place at FIFA World Cup 2026.
Morocco memorably finished fourth at the most recent World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and will co-host the 2030 tournament with Portugal and Spain.
Finally, in Group H, Tunisia are seven points ahead of Namibia in second place with two matches remaining.
Tunisia qualified for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, having missed out of the two prior to that in 2010 and 2014.
That leaves seven places still to be filled.
South Africa hopes alive
South Africa are one of those nations hoping to book their first appearance at a World Cup since ‘qualifying’ automatically as hosts of the 2010 edition.
Bafana Bafana will take on Zimbabwe on Friday, 10 October at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban and Rwanda on Tuesday, 14 October at the Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela in their final two Group C encounters.
Both matches will kick off at 18:00.
As things currently stand, South Africa are second on goal difference behind Benin.
However, Benin face a far tougher remaining schedule with away matches against both Rwanda and Nigeria.
FIFA World Cup 2026 will held in the United States, Canada and Mexico between 11 June and 19 July and will comprise 48 countries in the biggest tournament to date.
Matches are scheduled to take place in 16 host cities.
