African qualifiers to provide seven more World Cup finalists
The official ball of the 2026 FIFA World Cup named "Trionda" is displayed during a presentation event in Mexico City, Mexico, October 3, 2025. REUTERS/Luis Cortes
CAPE TOWN :Africa’s group qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup conclude over the next week, providing seven more finalists for the tournament in North America.
With two rounds of group matches still to be played, Morocco and Tunisia are already guaranteed top place in their respective groups, while the identity of the seven other group winners – all of whom will earn an automatic place at the 2026 finals – will be finalised by next Tuesday.
Egypt are expected to secure their berth on Wednesday when they take on lowly Djibouti in Group A, while Ghana will win Group I on the same day if they beat the Central African Republic away from home and closest rivals Madagascar falter at the same time.
Algeria need a point from their penultimate Group G clash against Somalia on Thursday to add their name to the list.
In Group D, the tiny Cape Verde Islands have a four-point lead over second-placed Cameroon and therefore need to win one of their last two qualifiers to snatch a fairytale berth at the finals.
Cape Verde are away to Libya on Thursday and finish their campaign at home to Eswatini next Monday.
Senegal are handily placed in Group B with a two-point lead over the Democratic Republic of Congo and qualify if they win their last two matches, away against South Sudan on Friday and then home to Mauritania next Tuesday.
It is also clear what the Ivory Coast need to do in Group F to keep up their one-point advantage over Gabon. They will qualify if they win away to the lowly-ranked Seychelles on Friday and then at home to Kenya on October 14.
SOUTH AFRICA BUNGLE THREE-POINT ADVANTAGE
In Group C, South Africa had a three-point lead but points were stripped last week for fielding a defaulter in March, leaving them now trailing Benin on goal difference.
Benin, however, play their last two qualifiers away to Rwanda on Friday and Nigeria next Tuesday while South Africa are at home to Zimbabwe on Friday and Rwanda next Tuesday.
The clash against neighbours Zimbabwe is formally an away game but because they do not have a stadium that has been deemed suitable for use in international competition, Zimbabwe have elected to take the fixture to Durban, handing South Africa a major advantage.
At the weekend, their Belgian coach Hugo Broos took responsibility for the bungle that saw South Africa field midfielder Teboho Mokoena when he should have been suspended.
“I am responsible. I am the coach, I had to know that this guy had two yellow cards. So, stop with it,” he said of the ongoing outrage from South African fans.
“Just focus on the two games remaining now and support us. We will do everything to win these games, and for me, it’s an extra motivation.”
