The African qualification process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup CAF Qualifiers began on November 15, 2023, and will continue until November 18, 2025. This qualification is exclusive to teams that are members of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The nine slots are available for the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers in the final tournament in the 2026 FIFA World Cup United States, Canada and Mexico.
In CAF, FIFA-affiliated football associations participate in the qualification process. For the first round of qualification, all 54 FIFA-affiliated football associations will be used to determine which nations will compete. In the second and third rounds, the most recent Men’s FIFA rankings will be utilized.
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup CAF (Africa) is allocated five teams – Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco and Cameroon for the final round. This time a total of 48 teams have qualified for the 2026 Football World Cup, with 9 slots in the final round. Here are updates of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification process for African Qualifiers below.
2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers
Table of Contents
All the ground and Matchday with Date
| Round | Matchday | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| First round | Matchday 1 | 15–18 November 2023 |
| Matchday 2 | 19–21 November 2023 | |
| Matchday 3 | 5–8 June 2024 | |
| Matchday 4 | 9–11 June 2024 | |
| Matchday 5 | 19–22 March 2025 | |
| Matchday 6 | 23–25 March 2025 | |
| Matchday 7 | 1–9 September 2025 | |
| Matchday 8 | ||
| Matchday 9 | 6–14 October 2025 | |
| Matchday 10 | ||
| Second round | Semi-finals | 10–18 November 2025 |
| Final | ||
| Inter-confederation play-offs | 6 teams |
Participated Teams
- Group A: Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Djibouti
- Group B: Sudan, Senegal, Mauritania, Togo, South Sudan, DR Congo
- Group C: Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, Benin, Lesotho, Zimbabwe
- Group D: Cape Verde, Cameroon, Angola, Libya, Eswatini, Malawi
- Group E: DR Congo, Ghana, Madagascar, Comoros, Central African Republic, Chad
- Group F: Algeria, Uganda, Mozambique, Gambia, Botswana, Zambia
- Group G: Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Mauritania, Malawi, Senegal
- Group H: Ivory Coast, Gabon, Kenya, Zambia, Republic of Congo, Burundi
- Group I: Morocco, Tanzania, Mali, Mauritania, Libya, Eritrea
CAF Qualifiers First Round draw POT
| POT 1 Morocco (13) Senegal (18) Tunisia (31) Algeria (33) Egypt (34) Nigeria (39) Cameroon (43) Mali (50) Ivory Coast (51) | POT 2 Burkina Faso (55) Ghana (59) South Africa (62) Cape Verde (66) DR Congo (69) Guinea (80) Zambia (84) Gabon (85) Equatorial Guinea (91) |
| POT 3 Uganda (92) Benin (93) Mauritania (99) Kenya (105) Congo (106) Madagascar (107) Guinea-Bissau (111) Namibia (112) Angola (114) | POT 4 Mozambique (117) Gambia (119) Sierra Leone (120) Togo (122) Tanzania (123) Zimbabwe (124) Central African Republic (125) Malawi (126) Libya (127) |
| POT 5 Niger (128) Comoros (130) Sudan (131) Rwanda (139) Burundi (140) Ethiopia (143) Eswatini (146) Botswana (147) Liberia (148) | POT 6 Lesotho (152) South Sudan (168) Mauritius (180) Chad (181) São Tomé and Príncipe (187) Djibouti (193) Seychelles (196) Eritrea (198) Somalia (199) |
2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers Groups and Standing
The 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers Group winners will secure direct qualification for the final World Cup teams, while the four best runners-up will enter playoffs to compete for a spot in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Group A
The AFC Group A contains Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Djibouti. Egypt is the winner of Group A 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 16 points in 6 games.
| Pos | Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egypt | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 16 |
| 2 | Burkina Faso | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 11 |
| 3 | Sierra Leone | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| 4 | Ethiopia | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| 5 | Guinea-Bissau | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 6 |
| 6 | Djibouti | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 20 | −16 | 1 |
Group B
The group contains Senegal, DR Congo, Mauritania, Togo, Sudan and South Sudan. DR Congo is the winner of Group B 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 13 points in 6 games.
| Pos | Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DR Congo | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 13 |
| 2 | Senegal | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 12 |
| 3 | Sudan | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 12 |
| 4 | Togo | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 4 |
| 5 | South Sudan | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 3 |
| 6 | Mauritania | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 2 |
Group C
The AFC Group C contains Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho. South Africa is the winner of Group C 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 13 points in 6 games.
| Pos | Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 13 |
| 2 | Rwanda | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | Benin | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 8 |
| 4 | Nigeria | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 7 |
| 5 | Lesotho | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 6 |
| 6 | Zimbabwe | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 4 |
Group D
The AFC Group D contains Cameroon, Cape Verde, Angola, Libya, Eswatini and Mauritius. Cape Verde is the winner of Group D 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 13 points in 6 games.
| Pos | Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Verde | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 13 |
| 2 | Cameroon | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 12 |
| 3 | Libya | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 8 |
| 4 | Angola | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| 5 | Mauritius | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 5 |
| 6 | Eswatini | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 2 |
Group E
The AFC Group E contains Morocco, Zambia, Congo, Tanzania, Niger and Eritrea. Morocco is the winner of Group E 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 15 points in 6 games.
| Pos | Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morocco | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 15 |
| 2 | Niger | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 |
| 3 | Tanzania | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 6 |
| 4 | Zambia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 3 |
| 5 | Congo | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 0 |
| 6 | Eritrea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group F
The AFC Group F contains Ivory Coast, Gabon, Kenya, Gambia, Burundi and Seychelles. Ivory Coast is the winner of Group F 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 16 points in 6 games.
| Pos | Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivory Coast | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | +14 | 16 |
| 2 | Gabon | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 15 |
| 3 | Burundi | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 10 |
| 4 | Kenya | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 6 |
| 5 | Gambia (Z) | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 13 | −1 | 4 |
| 6 | Seychelles (E) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 30 | −28 | 0 |
Group G
The AFC Group G contains Algeria, Guinea, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana and Somalia. Algeria is the winner of Group G 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 15 points in 6 games.
| Pos | Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algeria | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 6 | +10 | 15 |
| 2 | Mozambique | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 12 |
| 3 | Botswana | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 9 |
| 4 | Uganda | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 9 |
| 5 | Guinea | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 7 |
| 6 | Somalia (Z) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 1 |
Group H
The AFC Group H contains Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia and São Tomé and Príncipe. Tunisia is the winner of Group H 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 15 points in 6 games.
| Pos | Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tunisia | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 16 |
| 2 | Namibia | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 12 |
| 3 | Liberia | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 10 |
| 4 | Equatorial Guinea | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 7 |
| 5 | Malawi | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 6 |
| 6 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 14 | −12 | 0 |
Group I
The AFC Group I contains Mali, Ghana, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Comoros and Chad. Ghana is the winner of Group I 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 15 points in 6 games.
| Pos | Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghana | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 5 | +10 | 15 |
| 2 | Comoros | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 12 |
| 3 | Madagascar | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 10 |
| 4 | Mali | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 9 |
| 5 | Central African Republic | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 13 | −5 | 5 |
| 6 | Chad | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 15 | −14 | 0 |
Ranking List of runners-up
| Pos | Group | Teams | Pld | Win | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Group F | Gabon | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 15 |
| 2 | Group D | Cameroon | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 12 |
| 3 | Group B | Senegal | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 12 |
| 4 | Group H | Namibia | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 12 |
| 5 | Group I | Comoros | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 12 |
| 6 | Group G | Mozambique | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 12 |
| 7 | Group A | Burkina Faso | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 11 |
| 8 | Group C | Rwanda | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| 9 | Group E | Niger | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 |
Second round
The four best 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers runners-up teams from the groups will be drawn into the playoffs. and the Winner will qualify for the Inter-confederation playoffs round.
| Match | Date | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Semifinals 1 | November 2025 | Team 1 vs Team 2 |
| Semifinals 2 | November 2025 | Team 3 vs Team 4 |
| Final | November 2025 | Winner of Semifinals 1 vs Winner of Semifinals 2 |
Inter-confederation play-offs
The top two runners-up from the third round will form a team. This team will compete against teams from AFC, OFC, and CONMEBOL, as well as two teams from CONCACAF. The victorious team will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Top goalscorers
| S No | Player Name | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohamed Salah | 6 Goals |
| 2 | Mohamed Amoura | 5 |
| 3 | Lassina Traoré | 5 |
| 4 | Trézéguet | 5 |
| 5 | Denis Bouanga | 5 |
| 6 | Jordan Ayew | 5 |
| 7 | Kamory Doumbia | 5 |
How many African teams qualify for the World Cup?
2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers: 9 direct slots are available for the final round.
