Fierce Battles Ahead - African Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup: Group Standings and Full Fixtures

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Africa 16 March 2025 at 15:07

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Fierce Battles Ahead - African Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup: Group Standings and Full Fixtures

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The draw for the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World cup held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast has produced thrilling groups featuring top teams vying for place in the global tournament.

With FIFA expanding the World Cup to 48 team, Africa's allocation's increased from 5 to nine and half spots, offering more opportunities for african nations to make their mark on the world stage.

How Do the 2026 World Cup African Qualifiers Work?

A total of 54 African nations are competing in the qualifiers divided into 9 groups of 6 teams each. The teams will play full league format (home and away) meaning each team will compete in 10 match during this phase.

The 9 group winners will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The 4 best second placed teams will enter playoff with the winner securing spot in the intercontinental playoff for potential tenth African berth.

Key Dates for the Qualifiers

The qualifiers began in Nov 2023 and will conclude in Oct 2025 with the 10th & final round.
The African playoff will take place in November 2025, featuring semifinal and final to determine the continent’s intercontinental playoff representative.

Where to Watch the 2026 African Qualifiers

Saudi Arabia’s SSC SPORTS network holds exclusive rights to broadcast the African qualifiers.

Additionally national broadcasters will air their respective countries matches:

Morocco – Arryadia
Egypt – ONTIME SPORTS
Algeria – Algerian Sports Channel
Tunisia – Télévision Tunisienne

Group Standings

Current Standings in the African Qualifiers

Group A

Egypt – 10 pts
Guinea-Bissau – 6 pts
Burkina Faso – 5 pts
Sierra Leone – 5 pts
Ethiopia – 3 pts
Djibouti – 1 pt

Group B

Senegal – 8 pts
Sudan – 7 pts
DR Congo – 7 pts
Togo – 3 pts
South Sudan – 2 pts
Mauritania – 1 pt

Group C

Benin – 7 pts
Lesotho – 5 pts
Rwanda – 4 pts
South Africa – 4 pts
Nigeria – 3 pts
Zimbabwe – 2 pts

Group D

Cameroon – 7 pts
Libya – 7 pts
Angola – 5 pts
Cape Verde – 4 pts
Mauritius – 1 pt
Eswatini – 0 pts

Group E

Morocco – 6 pts
Zambia – 3 pts
Niger – 3 pts
Tanzania – 3 pts
Congo – 0 pts

Group F

Ivory Coast – 9 pts
Gabon – 6 pts
Kenya – 4 pts
Burundi – 4 pts
Gambia – 3 pts
Seychelles – 0 pts

Group G

Algeria – 9 pts
Mozambique – 9 pts
Botswana – 6 pts
Guinea – 6 pts
Uganda – 6 pts
Somalia – 0 pts

Group H

Tunisia – 10 pts
Namibia – 8 pts
Liberia – 7 pts
Malawi – 6 pts
Equatorial Guinea – 3 pts
São Tomé – 0 pts

Group I

Ghana – 9 pts
Madagascar – 6 pts
Comoros – 6 pts
Mali – 4 pts
Central African Republic – 4 pts
Chad – 0 pts

Full Fixtures

Round 6 (March 23-25, 2025)

Eswatini vs Mauritius – March 23
Kenya vs Gabon – March 23
Namibia vs Equatorial Guinea – March 24
Central African Republic vs Mali – March 24
Liberia vs São Tomé – March 24
Guinea-Bissau vs Burkina Faso – March 24
Madagascar vs Ghana – March 24
Ivory Coast vs Gambia – March 24
Tunisia vs Malawi – March 24
Ethiopia vs Djibouti – March 24
Botswana vs Somalia – March 25
Angola vs Cape Verde – March 25
Benin vs South Africa – March 25
Rwanda vs Lesotho – March 25
Nigeria vs Zimbabwe – March 25
Uganda vs Guinea – March 25
Burundi vs Seychelles – March 25
Sudan vs South Sudan – March 25
Egypt vs Sierra Leone – March 25
Cameroon vs Libya – March 25
Senegal vs Togo – March 25
Mauritania vs DR Congo – March 25
Comoros vs Chad – March 25
Algeria vs Mozambique – March 25
Morocco vs Tanzania – March 25

Round 5 (March 19-21, 2025)

Tanzania vs Congo – March 19
Zambia vs Eritrea – March 19
Eswatini vs Cameroon – March 19
Liberia vs Tunisia – March 19
Central African Republic vs Madagascar – March 19
Mozambique vs Uganda – March 20
Sierra Leone vs Guinea-Bissau – March 20
Zimbabwe vs Benin – March 20
Cape Verde vs Mauritius – March 20
Malawi vs Namibia – March 20
Libya vs Angola – March 20
Gambia vs Kenya – March 20
Gabon vs Seychelles – March 20
Comoros vs Mali – March 20
Botswana vs Algeria – March 21
Equatorial Guinea vs São Tomé – March 21
Burkina Faso vs Djibouti – March 21
DR Congo vs South Sudan – March 21
Rwanda vs Nigeria – March 21
South Africa vs Lesotho – March 21
Burundi vs Ivory Coast – March 21
Ghana vs Chad – March 21
Ethiopia vs Egypt – March 21
Guinea vs Somalia – March 21
Niger vs Morocco – March 21

Round 4 (June 09-11, 2024)

São Tomé 1-0 Liberia
DR Congo 0-1 Togo
Djibouti 1-1 Ethiopia
Mauritania 1-0 Senegal
Namibia 0-0 Tunisia
Somalia 3-1 Botswana
Equatorial Guinea 0-1 Malawi
Benin 1-2 Nigeria
Guinea-Bissau 1-1 Egypt
Uganda 2-1 Algeria
Burkina Faso 2-2 Sierra Leone
Ghana 3-4 Central African Republic
Guinea 1-0 Mozambique
Madagascar 0-0 Mali
South Sudan 3-0 Sudan
Zambia 1-0 Tanzania
Kenya 0-0 Ivory Coast
Mauritius 1-2 Eswatini
South Africa 1-3 Zimbabwe
Congo 6-0 Morocco
Lesotho 1-0 Rwanda
Cape Verde 0-1 Libya
Chad 2-0 Comoros
Gabon 2-3 Gambia
Angola 1-1 Cameroon
Seychelles 3-1 Burundi

Round 3 (June 05-08, 2024)

Togo 1-1 South Sudan
Namibia 1-1 Liberia
Sierra Leone 1-2 Djibouti
Central African Republic 0-1 Chad
Tunisia 0-1 Equatorial Guinea
Malawi 1-3 São Tomé
Guinea-Bissau 0-0 Ethiopia
Mauritania 2-0 Sudan
Libya 1-2 Mauritius
Senegal 1-1 DR Congo
Benin 0-1 Rwanda
Algeria 2-1 Guinea
Mali 2-1 Ghana
Egypt 1-2 Burkina Faso
Zimbabwe 2-0 Lesotho
Kenya 1-1 Burundi
Mozambique 1-2 Somalia
Uganda 0-1 Botswana
Madagascar 1-2 Comoros
Angola 0-1 Eswatini
Nigeria 1-1 South Africa
Morocco 1-2 Zambia
Ivory Coast 0-1 Gabon
Cameroon 1-4 Cape Verde
Gambia 1-5 Seychelles

Postponed or Canceled Matches:

Tanzania vs Eritrea – Canceled
Congo vs Niger – Postponed

Round 2 (November 19-21, 2023)

Mozambique 2-0 Algeria
Zimbabwe 1-1 Nigeria
Burundi 2-1 Gabon
Sierra Leone 2-0 Egypt
Sudan 0-1 DR Congo
Djibouti 1-0 Guinea-Bissau
Gambia 2-0 Ivory Coast
Eritrea vs. Congo – Canceled
Seychelles 5-0 Kenya
Mali 1-1 Central African Republic
Chad 3-0 Madagascar
Lesotho 0-0 Benin
Somalia 1-0 Uganda
Eswatini 2-0 Cape Verde
Rwanda 0-2 South Africa
Malawi 1-0 Tunisia
Botswana 0-1 Guinea
Togo 0-0 Senegal
Comoros 0-1 Ghana
South Sudan 0-0 Mauritania
Mauritius 0-0 Angola
Libya 1-1 Cameroon
São Tomé 2-0 Namibia
Ethiopia 3-0 Burkina Faso
Niger 1-2 Zambia

Round 1 (November 15-18, 2023)

Equatorial Guinea 0-1 Namibia
Rwanda 0-0 Zimbabwe
DR Congo 0-2 Mauritania
Ethiopia 0-0 Sierra Leone
Burundi 2-3 Gambia
Botswana 3-2 Mozambique
Nigeria 1-1 Lesotho
Sudan 1-1 Togo
Gabon 1-2 Kenya
Algeria 1-3 Somalia
Egypt 6-0 Djibouti
Cape Verde 0-0
Eswatini 1-0 Libya
Comoros 2-4 Central African Republic
Guinea 1-2 Uganda
Liberia 1-0 Malawi
Zambia 2-4 Congo
Ghana 0-1 Madagascar
Mali 1-3 Chad
Burkina Faso 1-1 Guinea-Bissau
Tunisia 4-0 São Tomé and Príncipe
Ivory Coast 9-0 Seychelles
Cameroon 3-0 Mauritius
South Africa 1-2 Benin
Niger 1-0 Tanzania
Senegal 4-0 South Sudan

Postponed or Canceled Matches

Morocco vs Eritrea – Postponed

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.