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Who can still claim Africa's spots at 2026 World Cup?

GETTY IMAGES / Ivory Coast, Egypt and Ghana are all top of their 2026 World Cup qualification groups, but Cameroon may be consigned to the play-offs

GETTY IMAGES / Ivory Coast, Egypt and Ghana are all top of their 2026 World Cup qualification groups, but Cameroon may be consigned to the play-offs

With fixtures being played between Wednesday 8 and Tuesday, 14 October, only the nine group winners are assured of a spot at the expanded 48-team tournament. Morocco, semi-finalists at Qatar 2022, and Tunisia have already booked their tickets.

Cape Verde are one victory away from clinching a first ever appearance at the World Cup while Egypt and Algeria also know that three points from their next two games will secure top spot in their respective groups.

The four best-ranked second-placed sides from across the nine groups will enter play-offs next month, with the winners then getting another chance to qualify via an intercontinental route.

With continental heavyweights Cameroon and Nigeria in danger of missing out, BBC Sport Africa breaks down who still has a chance of reaching the Canada, Mexico and the United States.

 

Group A - Pharaohs on brink of qualification

 

Egypt have a five-point advantage over Burkina Faso, and will be expected to sew up qualification with victory away against Djibouti on Wednesday (16:00 GMT).

The East Africans are bottom of the group and have only picked up one point from eight matches so far.

Should the Pharaohs fall to a shock defeat, they host Guinea-Bissau on Sunday.

Burkina Faso, who remain hot favourites to finish second, face a trip to Sierra Leone before hosting Ethiopia, but may well need maximum points from those games to stand a chance of reaching the play-offs.

Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau also harbour slim hopes of snatching second place.

Possible group winners: Egypt, Burkina Faso

 

Group B – Senegal in driving seat

 

Senegal seized the initiative in Group B by coming from 2-0 down to win in DR Congo last month, and now hold a one-point lead over the Leopards.

The Teranga Lions travel to bottom side South Sudan on Friday and then host Mauritania knowing that two wins will seal a third successive World Cup qualification.

DR Congo must hope the West Africans slip up while also securing maximum points themselves away against Togo and at home against Sudan.

Sudan must win both of their games and see Senegal lose twice to stand a chance of topping the group, but second remains a possibility if they beat the Congolese.

Possible group winners: Senegal, DR Congo, Sudan

 

Group C – Advantage Benin after Bafana sanction

 

Teboho Mokoena, seen from chest up and wearing a yellow South Africa football shirt, holds his hands up as he applauds during a football game. A sheen of sweat can be seen glistening on his skin
GETTY IMAGES

 

South Africa have dropped from top of Group C to second in the table after being sanctioned for fielding the ineligible Teboho Mokoena in a qualifier in March

The race for top spot is wide open after Fifa ruled that South Africa fielded the ineligible Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho.

A 2-0 win for Bafana Bafana in March has instead gone down as a 3-0 forfeit,wiping out what was a three-point lead at the top of the table.

Benin are now at the summit on goal difference, one goal ahead of South Africa, with Nigeria and Rwanda three points adrift but with a chance of qualifying.

Benin finish with trips to Rwanda and Nigeria, while Bafana go to Zimbabwe and then host Rwanda.

Three-time continental champions Nigeria open with an away game in Lesotho and must win both of their games, but even maximum points may not be enough to be one of the best second-placed finishers.

Possible group winners: Benin, South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda, Lesotho

 

Group D - Blue Sharks poised to make history

 

Cape Verde footballers celebrate a victory, with captain Ryan Mendes, wearing a white shirt with red trim, crouching down and extending his arms in front of a national flag and pulling a wide-eyed face of celebration with his mouth wide open
GETTY IMAGES

 

Cape Verde reached the quarter-finals at the 2013 and 2023 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations and are in line to make their World Cup debut next year

Cape Verde's shock 1-0 home victory over Cameroon last month has put the Atlantic Ocean islanders four points clear in the standings.

The Blue Sharks know that a win from either their trip to Libya on Wednesday (13:00 GMT) or their home clash against bottom side Eswatini next Monday will book a historic maiden qualification for the World Cup for a country with fewer than 530,000 inhabitants.

Cameroon could qualify on goal difference if they beat Mauritius away and Angola at home and Cape Verde draw both games - or if Cameroon pick up four points and the Cape Verdeans lose both games.

However, Libya are a point behind Cameroon and the North Africans can potentially finish top if results go their way.

Possible group winners: Cape Verde, Cameroon, Libya

 

Group E – Battle for second place

Morocco qualified with two games to spare and triumph over Congo-Brazzaville would see the Atlas Lions end the campaign with a 100% record.

Tanzania, Niger and Zambia are separated by four points and battling for second spot, but reaching the play-offs could be difficult.

Group winners: Morocco (qualified)

 

Group F – Elephants narrowly ahead of Panthers

 

Denis Bouanga wears a yellow Gabon shirt with a number 20 on the chest and blue shorts as he holds out his arms to balance and shield the ball during a football match from Kenya defender Rooney Onyango, who is wearing a red shirt. A second Kenya player can be seen in the background running towards the pair while behind him you can see a blurred packed stand full of supporters
GETTY IMAGES

 

Gabon forward Denis Bouanga (left) is the top scorer in African qualifying with eight goals

Ivory Coast hold a one-point lead over Gabon after holding on for a 0-0 draw in Franceville in September.

The Elephants travel to the Seychelles on Friday (13:00 GMT) and then entertain Kenya next Tuesday.

Gabon face an away game against The Gambia and then host Burundi.

If they win both of those games and fail to overhaul the reigning continental champions then the Panthers look to be guaranteed a place in the play-offs.

Possible group winners: Ivory Coast, Gabon

 

Group G – Algeria close to qualification

Algeria, another side with a four-point advantage, know one win from games against already-eliminated Somalia and second-placed Uganda will secure top spot.

Uganda are only ahead of Mozambique on goal difference in the battle for second.

The Cranes travel to Botswana in their first game on Thursday before their visit to North Africa, while Mozambique entertain Guinea before their away game against Somalia.

Possible group winners: Algeria, Uganda, Mozambique

 

Group H – Namibia aim to secure second

Tunisia wrapped up top spot with two games remaining, and Namibia look odds-on to secure second.

The Brave Warriors are four points ahead of Liberia and five ahead of Malawi and Equatorial Guinea.

Namibia go to Liberia on Thursday before ending with a trip to Tunis. The Lone Stars visit the Equatoguineans in the final round next Monday.

Group winners: Tunisia (qualified)

 

Group I – Black Stars in control

 

Gideon Mensah, wearing a red armband on his left arm and a white Ghana shirt with a black star on the front, is seen from chest up during a football match. His black braids with orange tips are seen flowing behind him as he moves
GETTY IMAGES

 

Left-back Gideon Mensah will be looking to help Ghana seal back-to-back qualifications for the World Cup

Three sides are battling for the automatic qualifying position, with Ghana holding a three-point lead over Madagascar, and Comoros a further point behind their fellow islanders.

The West Africans travel to Central African Republic on Wednesday (16:00 GMT), and Comoros entertain the Malagasy the same day.

Ghana will qualify if they win and Madagascar fail to pick up three points.

The Black Stars finish their campaign with what could be a vital home match against Comoros on Sunday while Madagascar go to Mali in the final round of games.

Possible group winners: Ghana, Madagascar, Comoros

 

The play-off route

 

The best four second-placed finishers across the nine groups will enter African play-offs in November.

Gabon, Madagascar, DR Congo and Burkina Faso have the best records after eight matches.

Yet, to ensure sporting integrity after Eritrea withdrew from Group E on the eve of the campaign beginning, the table ranking sides is expected to be adjusted to remove results against the sixth-placed finisher in each group.

That would change the standings - with Cameroon and South Africa the beneficiaries amid Madagascar and the Burkinabe dropping out of the top four.

However, neither Fifa nor the Confederation of African Football have made an official announcement on the matter.

Much could change over the final two rounds of qualifiers - especially given the fact that bottom place is yet to be decided in six of the groups, which would alter the rankings considerably.

The play-off format is also yet to be announced, but the overall winner will progress to intercontinental qualifiers scheduled for March next year.

Source: BBC News:

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