African national teams are gearing up for their fifth and sixth matchdays out of ten (except for Group E following Eritrea’s exit) in the CAF qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 26™. After a lengthy intermission to make way for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the continent is now back on track for the World Cup, which means it’s time to look at the state of play.
Only the first-placed teams from the nine qualifying groups will advance directly to the North American showpiece, while the four best runners-up will battle it out in a second round to decide who will represent Africa at the FIFA Play-off Tournament.
Group A
1. Egypt | 10 pts
2. Guinea-Bissau | 6 pts
3. Burkina Faso | 5 pts
4. Sierra Leone | 5 pts
5. Ethiopia | 3 pts
6. Djibouti | 1 pt
Matchday 5 fixtures
Burkina Faso – Djibouti
Sierra Leone – Guinea-Bissau
Ethiopia – Egypt
Matchday 6 fixtures
Guinea-Bissau – Burkina Faso
Egypt – Sierra Leone
Ethiopia – Djibouti
Current form
Egypt are unbeaten as group leaders and hoping to edge closer to qualification when they travel to Ethiopia and then host Sierra Leone. The Pharaohs are the only team in the group to have already played in a World Cup, and their ranks include the competition’s two joint-top scorers, Mohamed Salah and Mahmoud Trezeguet, with five goals apiece.
After a sluggish start to their campaign, albeit having qualified for the 2025 AFCON, Burkina Faso will be looking to bounce back when they host bottom-of-the-table Djibouti. Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau, who held Egypt 1-1 in World Cup qualifying and Mali 0-0 in the AFCON qualifiers, are bracing themselves for a tough trip to Sierra Leone, who beat continental heavyweights Côte d’Ivoire on home soil 1-0 in the AFCON qualifiers.
Group B
1. Sudan | 10 pts
2. Senegal | 8 pts
3. DR Congo | 7 pts
4. Togo | 3 pts
5. South Sudan | 2 pts
6. Mauritania | 1 pt
Matchday 5 fixtures
DR Congo – South Sudan
Togo – Mauritania
Sudan – Senegal
Matchday 6 fixtures
Mauritania – DR Congo
Senegal – Togo
Sudan – Senegal
Current form
Since the last round of World Cup qualifiers, the top three teams in this group, Sudan, Senegal and DR Congo, have confirmed their places at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Senegal came out on top in their AFCON qualifying group, amassing an unbeaten record courtesy of three goals each from Sadio Mane and Habib Diarra. In their return to World Cup qualifying, the Lions of Teranga are poised for a crunch match against Sudan, the group’s unbeaten leaders, before hosting Togo, who are still chasing their first win.
The Sparrowhawks will need a new lease of life to have any hope of playing in another World Cup after their 2006 appearance. Their group includes two other former World Cup participants: Senegal (2002, 2018, 2022) and DR Congo (in 1974 as Zaire). The latter are reeling from back-to-back defeats in the AFCON qualifiers and will be hoping to regain the upper hand on the road to the World Cup when they take on the group’s bottom two sides, South Sudan and Mauritania.
Group C
1. Rwanda | 7 pts
2. South Africa | 7 pts
3. Benin | 7 pts
4. Lesotho | 5 pts
5. Nigeria | 3 pts
6. Zimbabwe | 2 pts
Matchday 5 fixtures
South Africa – Lesotho
Zimbabwe – Benin
Rwanda – Nigeria
Matchday 6 fixtures
Benin – South Africa
Nigeria – Zimbabwe
Rwanda – Lesotho
Current form
This group is fiercely competitive and features three teams sharing the lead on points, as well as four nations that have since qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in the form of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Benin and Nigeria. Last November, Rwanda won 2-1 against the Super Eagles, as Innocent Nshuti finished the AFCON qualifiers with three goals, while Nigerian duo Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen each failed to score. It is imperative for Nigeria to get back on track if they want to reach the World Cup, beginning with a visit to Rwanda followed by a home date with Zimbabwe.
As the only team in the group, along with Nigeria, to have reached a World Cup finals, South Africa have already qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations with four wins and two draws. Bafana Bafana managed to rack up 16 goals in six games, including three from Teboho Mokoena, the Mamelodi Sundowns FC midfielder who is set to play in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ in June. South Africa resume World Cup qualifying with a home clash against Lesotho and an away encounter at Benin.
Group D
1. Cameroon | 8 pts
2. Libya | 7 pts
3. Cabo Verde | 7 pts
4. Angola | 6 pts
5. Mauritius | 4 pts
6. Eswatini | 0 pts
Matchday 5 fixtures
Cabo Verde – Mauritius
Libya – Angola
Eswatini – Cameroon
Matchday 6 fixtures
Angola – Cabo Verde
Cameroon – Libya
Eswatini – Mauritius
Current form
Cameroon have a one-point lead over the chasing pack, but their form remains considerably better than that of Libya and Cabo Verde. The Indomitable Lions dominated their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group, finishing unbeaten courtesy of three goals from Vincent Aboubakar, while Libya and Cabo Verde were bottom of their respective groups.
Cameroon hold the African record for the most appearances at the World Cup finals with eight, and a trip to bottom-placed Eswatini without a single point, could see them pull away in the standings before hosting second place Libya. The only other country to have played in a World Cup, Angola won their group in the AFCON qualifiers in unbeaten fashion. Now they take on two of the teams above them in the race for a place at World Cup 26, Libya and Cabo Verde, and if they keep up their fine form, the Palancas Negras could leapfrog them both.
Meanwhile, Mauritius will be keen to put their 3-1 aggregate defeat to Chad in the preliminary round of their continental competition behind them and climb back into the top three.
Group E
1. Morocco | 9 pts
2. Niger | 6 pts
3. Tanzania | 6 pts
4. Zambia | 3 pts
5. Congo | 0 pts
Group E is made up of just five teams, following Eritrea’s withdrawal from the qualifiers in November 2023.
Matchday 5 fixtures
Niger – Morocco
Matchday 6 fixtures
Morocco – Tanzania
Current form
Morocco have been unbeaten for the last year since being knocked out in the round of 16 by South Africa, 2-0, in the 2023 AFCON. They have won all their matches in this group, just as they did in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, which helped the Atlas Lions prepare for the finals having already qualified as hosts. All six of their matches ended in victories, largely thanks to seven goals from Brahim Diaz and three each from Youssef En-Nesyri and Soufiane Rahimi. As the only team in the group to have already played in a World Cup finals, Morocco can go one better in their bid for a seventh appearance when they take on their two closest challengers, Niger and Tanzania.
The Nigeriens will be eager to pick themselves up after their elimination in the AFCON qualifiers, during which Tanzania won two crucial matches to finish second behind DR Congo. Meanwhile, Zambia have now gone five matches unbeaten, including a 1-0 win over Côte d’Ivoire thanks to a goal from Kennedy Musonda, who has found the net in four of his side’s last five matches.
Group F
1. Côte d’Ivoire | 10 pts
2. Gabon | 9 pts
3. Burundi | 7 pts
4. Kenya | 5 pts
5. Gambia | 3 pts
6. Seychelles | 0 pts
Matchday 5 fixtures
Gabon – Seychelles
Gambia – Kenya
Burundi – Côte d’Ivoire
Matchday 6 fixtures
Kenya – Gabon
Côte d’Ivoire – Gambia
Burundi – Seychelles
Current form
The Elephants successfully negotiated their way through the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers by finishing second in their group, with three goals from Jean-Philippe Krasso and Oumar Diakite. They have the opportunity to stretch their lead at the top of the World Cup qualifying standings against two teams who did not qualify for the AFCON, Burundi and Gambia, the latter having finished with a 1-0 win over Tunisia.
Gabon share the same ambition, as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his team-mates play host to Seychelles, who did not take part in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, followed by a date with a Kenya side who failed to make it out of the group stage.
Group G
1. Algeria | 9 pts
2. Mozambique | 9 pts
3. Botswana | 6 pts
4. Guinea | 6 pts
5. Uganda | 6 pts
6. Somalia | 0 pts
Matchday 5 fixtures
Guinea – Somalia
Mozambique – Uganda
Botswana – Algeria
Matchday 6 fixtures
Uganda – Guinea
Algeria – Mozambique
Botswana – Somalia
Current form
Algeria are the only nation in this group to have already played in a World Cup, and they achieved a near flawless record in their AFCON qualifiers, finishing first with five wins from six matches, helped considerably by Amine Gouiri’s four goals. In the World Cup qualifiers, the Fennecs will be up against two of the other three teams to have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations, Botswana, who held Egypt to a 2-2 draw in November, and Mozambique.
The third to qualify was Uganda, who first meet Mozambique in a crucial contest, before taking on a Guinea team that failed to qualify for AFCON 2025 despite Serhou Guirassy’s six goals. Meanwhile, Somalia will be on the search for their first victory, with visits to Guinea and Botswana.
Group H
1. Tunisia | 10 pts
2. Namibia | 8 pts
3. Liberia | 7 pts
4. Malawi | 6 pts
5. Equatorial Guinea | 3 pts
6. São Tomé and Príncipe | 0 pts
Matchday 5 fixtures
Equatorial Guinea – São Tomé and Príncipe
Malawi – Namibia
Liberia – Tunisia
Matchday 6 fixtures
Namibia – Equatorial Guinea
Tunisia – Malawi
Liberia – São Tomé and Príncipe
Current form
Tunisia are the only team in the group alongside Equatorial Guinea to have qualified for the 2025 AFCON, and can edge closer to a seventh appearance at the World Cup should they prevail against two teams who finished bottom of their groups in the AFCON qualifiers, Liberia and Malawi. Meanwhile, the Equatoguineans look to bounce back against a São Tomé and Príncipe side desperate for their first point and who were eliminated in the preliminary round of the AFCON qualifiers. Equatorial Guinea will then face second-place Namibia, who are on the back of two encouraging performances in AFCON qualifying, including a goalless draw with Cameroon.
Group I
1. Comoros | 9 pts
2. Ghana | 9 pts
3. Madagascar | 7 pts
4. Mali | 5 pts
5. Central African Republic | 4 pts
6. Chad | 0 pts
Matchday 5 fixtures
Ghana – Chad
Central African Republic – Madagascar
Comoros – Mali
Matchday 6 fixtures
Madagascar – Ghana
Central African Republic – Mali
Comoros – Chad
Current form
Comoros consolidated their impressive run of results by claiming top spot in their AFCON qualifying group, where they crossed paths twice with Madagascar, earning a 1-1 draw and a 1-0 win. ES Troyes team-mates Ismael Boura and Rafiki Said had a hand in the team’s group success with two goals each. In their return to World Cup qualifying, Comoros face Mali, who are faring much better after finishing their continental qualifiers unbeaten, culminating in a resounding 6-0 win over Eswatini, with Kamory Doumbia registering a brace.
The other four teams finished bottom of their groups, including Ghana, who are the only country in Group I to have already taken part in a World Cup. Ghana will attempt to usurp Comoros atop the table when they host last place Chad, followed by a trip to Madagascar.
