Africa’s Road to North America Intensifies as Key Contenders Emerge
With five matchdays completed in the CAF qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, Africa’s race for a spot at the global showpiece is heating up. Nine group winners will secure direct qualification, while four best runners-up will enter a playoff round. Here’s a breakdown of the standings, fixtures, and narratives shaping each group:
Group A
Standings: Egypt (10 pts), Guinea-Bissau (6), Burkina Faso (5), Sierra Leone (5), Ethiopia (3), Djibouti (1).
Upcoming Fixtures:
Matchday 5: Burkina Faso vs Djibouti; Sierra Leone vs Guinea-Bissau; Ethiopia vs Egypt.
Matchday 6: Guinea-Bissau vs Burkina Faso; Egypt vs Sierra Leone; Ethiopia vs Djibouti.
Key Narrative: Unbeaten Egypt, led by joint-top scorers Mohamed Salah and Mahmoud Trezeguet (5 goals each), aim to solidify their lead. Burkina Faso, despite qualifying for AFCON 2025, seek redemption against Djibouti, while Guinea-Bissau face a stern test in Sierra Leone.
Group B
Standings: Sudan (10 pts), Senegal (8), DR Congo (7), Togo (3), South Sudan (2), Mauritania (1).
Upcoming Fixtures:
Matchday 5: DR Congo vs South Sudan; Togo vs Mauritania; Sudan vs Senegal.
Matchday 6: Mauritania vs DR Congo; Senegal vs Togo.
Key Narrative: Sudan’s clash with Senegal (June 6) could decide the group’s fate. Senegal, boasting Sadio Mané’s firepower, must overcome the leaders to reclaim momentum. DR Congo, reeling from AFCON setbacks, target wins against lower-ranked opponents to stay in contention.
Group C
Standings: Rwanda (7 pts), South Africa (7), Benin (7), Lesotho (5), Nigeria (3), Zimbabwe (2).
Upcoming Fixtures:
Matchday 5: South Africa vs Lesotho; Zimbabwe vs Benin; Rwanda vs Nigeria.
Matchday 6: Benin vs South Africa; Nigeria vs Zimbabwe; Rwanda vs Lesotho.
Key Narrative: Nigeria’s shock defeat to Rwanda has left the Super Eagles in peril. With Victor Osimhen yet to score in qualifying, matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe are must-win. South Africa, led by Teboho Mokoena, eye top spot with favorable fixtures.
Group D
Standings: Cameroon (8 pts), Libya (7), Cabo Verde (7), Angola (6), Mauritius (4), Eswatini (0).
Upcoming Fixtures:
Matchday 5: Cabo Verde vs Mauritius; Libya vs Angola; Eswatini vs Cameroon
Matchday 6: Angola vs Cabo Verde; Cameroon vs Libya.
Key Narrative: Cameroon, Africa’s most frequent World Cup participants (8 appearances), face bottom-placed Eswatini before a pivotal clash with Libya. Angola, unbeaten in AFCON qualifiers, could disrupt the top two with wins over Libya and Cabo Verde.
Group E
Standings: Morocco (9 pts), Niger (6), Tanzania (6), Zambia (3), Congo (0).
Upcoming Fixtures:
Matchday 5: Niger vs Morocco. Matchday 6: Morocco vs Tanzania.
Key Narrative: Morocco, unbeaten in 12 months and AFCON 2025 hosts, aim to extend their dominance. Tanzania, buoyed by AFCON qualification, and Niger seek to close the gap. Zambia’s Kennedy Musonda could spark an upset.
Group F
Standings: Côte d’Ivoire (10 pts), Gabon (9), Burundi (7), Kenya (5), Gambia (3), Seychelles (0).
Upcoming Fixtures:
Matchday 5: Gabon vs Seychelles; Gambia vs Kenya; Burundi vs Côte d’Ivoire.
Matchday 6: Kenya vs Gabon; Côte d’Ivoire vs Gambia.
Key Narrative: AFCON 2023 champions Côte d’Ivoire face Burundi and Gambia to cement their lead. Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang eyes a goal spree against Seychelles and Kenya.
Group G
Standings: Algeria (9 pts), Mozambique (9), Botswana (6), Guinea (6), Uganda (6), Somalia (0).
Upcoming Fixtures:
Matchday 5: Guinea vs Somalia; Mozambique vs Uganda; Botswana vs Algeria.
Matchday 6: Uganda vs Guinea; Algeria vs Mozambique.
Key Narrative: Algeria, unbeaten in AFCON qualifiers, face a tight race with Mozambique. Uganda’s clash with Mozambique could reshape the group, while Guinea seek redemption after AFCON failure.
Group H
Standings: Tunisia (10 pts), Namibia (8), Liberia (7), Malawi (6), Equatorial Guinea (3), São Tomé and Príncipe (0).
Upcoming Fixtures:
Matchday 5: Malawi vs Namibia; Liberia vs Tunisia.
Matchday 6: Tunisia vs Malawi; Namibia vs Equatorial Guinea.
Key Narrative: Tunisia, eyeing a seventh World Cup, face Malawi and Liberia. Namibia, after holding Cameroon in AFCON qualifiers, target wins to pressure the leaders.
Group I
Standings: Comoros (9 pts), Ghana (9), Madagascar (7), Mali (5), Central African Republic (4), Chad (0).
Upcoming Fixtures:
–Matchday 5: Ghana vs Chad; Comoros vs Mali.
Matchday 6: Madagascar vs Ghana; Comoros vs Chad.
Key Narrative: Comoros’ fairytale run faces a test against Mali. Ghana, Africa’s underperforming giants, must defeat Chad and Madagascar to revive hopes.
Outlook
With pivotal matchdays ahead, traditional powerhouses like Senegal, Cameroon, and Ghana face fierce challenges from emerging contenders. Nigeria’s struggle for redemption and Morocco’s dominance underscore the high stakes as Africa’s quest for World Cup glory intensifies. The next fixtures, set for June 2024, will prove decisive in shaping the continent’s path to North America.
KiinMedia
Leave feedback about this