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With fixtures scheduled between Wednesday, 8 October and Tuesday, 14 October, only the nine group winners are guaranteed qualification for the expanded 48-team tournament
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Seven places at the 2026 FIFA World Cup are still up for grabs as the group stage of African qualifying reaches its climax. With fixtures scheduled between Wednesday, 8 October and Tuesday, 14 October, only the nine group winners are guaranteed qualification for the expanded 48-team tournament.
Morocco, semi-finalists at Qatar 2022, and Tunisia have already secured their tickets.
Cape Verde are just one win away from clinching their first-ever World Cup appearance, while Egypt and Algeria both need three points from their next two matches to seal top spots in their respective groups.
The four best-ranked second-placed teams from the nine groups will enter play-offs next month. The winners will then advance to the intercontinental play-offs for another shot at qualification.
With continental heavyweights such as Cameroon and Nigeria in danger of missing out, BBC Sport Africa examines who still has a chance of reaching the tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Group A – Pharaohs on the Brink
Egypt hold a five-point lead over Burkina Faso and are expected to confirm qualification with a win away to Djibouti on Wednesday (16:00 GMT).
Djibouti sit bottom of the group with only one point from eight matches. Should Egypt suffer a shock defeat, they will host Guinea-Bissau on Sunday.
Burkina Faso, likely to finish second, face Sierra Leone away before hosting Ethiopia, needing maximum points to stay in play-off contention. Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau also have slim hopes of finishing second. Possible group winners: Egypt, Burkina Faso.
Group B – Senegal in Control
Senegal seized the initiative after coming from 2-0 down to beat DR Congo last month and now hold a one-point lead over the Leopards.
The Teranga Lions visit South Sudan on Friday and then host Mauritania, knowing two wins will secure their third consecutive World Cup appearance.
DR Congo must hope Senegal slip up while they themselves claim full points against Togo (away) and Sudan (home). Sudan need to win both matches and hope Senegal lose twice to top the group, though second place remains possible with victory over DR Congo.
Possible group winners: Senegal, DR Congo, Sudan.
Group C – Advantage Benin After Bafana Sanction
The race for top spot was thrown wide open after FIFA ruled that South Africa fielded ineligible midfielder Teboho Mokoena in their qualifier against Lesotho. The 2-0 victory originally awarded to Bafana Bafana was overturned to a 3-0 forfeit, erasing their three-point advantage at the summit.
Benin now top the table on goal difference, just ahead of South Africa, with Nigeria and Rwanda three points behind but still in contention. Benin face away trips to Rwanda and Nigeria, while South Africa visit Zimbabwe before hosting Rwanda. Three-time African champions Nigeria travel to Lesotho first and must win both matches, though even maximum points might not secure a play-off place.
Possible group winners: Benin, South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda, Lesotho.
Group D – Blue Sharks Poised to Make History
Cape Verde’s stunning 1-0 home win over Cameroon last month put them four points clear at the top.
The Blue Sharks need just one victory—from either Wednesday’s away game against Libya (13:00 GMT) or Monday’s home match against Eswatini—to qualify for their maiden World Cup.
Cameroon can still qualify on goal difference if they beat Mauritius away and Angola at home while Cape Verde draw both fixtures. Libya, just one point behind Cameroon, also retain a slim chance of finishing top if results go their way. Possible group winners: Cape Verde, Cameroon, Libya.
Group E – Morocco Dominant
Morocco have already qualified with two games to spare. A win over Congo-Brazzaville would see the Atlas Lions finish the campaign with a perfect record.
Tanzania, Niger, and Zambia are battling for second place, though a play-off spot appears unlikely.
Group winners: Morocco (qualified).
Group F – Elephants Narrowly Ahead
Ivory Coast lead Gabon by one point after a 0-0 draw in Franceville in September.
The Elephants visit the Seychelles on Friday (13:00 GMT) before hosting Kenya next Tuesday.
Gabon face The Gambia away and Burundi at home. Should they win both and still finish behind the Elephants, the Panthers would likely qualify for the play-offs. Possible group winners: Ivory Coast, Gabon.
Group G – Algeria Close to Qualification
Algeria need just one win—from matches against already-eliminated Somalia and second-placed Uganda—to confirm their qualification. Uganda are tied on points with Mozambique but ahead on goal difference. The Cranes face Botswana on Thursday before travelling to North Africa, while Mozambique host Guinea before playing Somalia away. Possible group winners: Algeria, Uganda, Mozambique.
Coach Paul Put with is players on arrival in Botswana for the qualifiers game
Group H – Namibia Eye Second Place
Tunisia have already sealed top spot, while Namibia look set to secure second, sitting four points clear of Liberia and five ahead of Malawi and Equatorial Guinea.
Namibia visit Liberia on Thursday before facing Tunisia away. Liberia will then visit Equatorial Guinea next Monday. Group winners: Tunisia (qualified).
Group I – Black Stars in Control.
Three teams are still in contention, with Ghana leading Madagascar by three points and Comoros a further point behind. The Black Stars travel to the Central African Republic on Wednesday (16:00 GMT), while Comoros host Madagascar the same day. Ghana will qualify if they win and Madagascar fail to claim maximum points. The final day could prove decisive, with Ghana hosting Comoros and Madagascar visiting Mali.
Possible group winners: Ghana, Madagascar, Comoros.
The Play-Off Route
The best four second-placed teams across the nine groups will contest African play-offs in November.
Currently, Gabon, Madagascar, DR Congo, and Burkina Faso hold the best records after eight matches.
To maintain fairness after Eritrea’s withdrawal from Group E before the qualifiers began, results against the sixth-placed teams in each group are expected to be excluded from calculations.
That adjustment could alter standings significantly—potentially benefiting Cameroon and South Africa, while Madagascar and Burkina Faso might drop out of the top four.
Neither FIFA nor CAF has officially confirmed this adjustment. With bottom places undecided in six groups, the rankings remain fluid and could change dramatically after the final two matchdays.
The play-off format is also yet to be finalized, but the overall winner will progress to the intercontinental qualifiers scheduled for March 2026.
Torch Media Africa
