A record nine teams will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, and 10 is a possibility as the 54 nations of CAF begin their battle for places in the North American-based tournament.
Well, technically it’s already down to 53, as Eritrea has withdrawn from qualification, but we’ll lay out the schedule, standings, and more in this post.
[ MORE: How will 48-team 2026 World Cup work? ]
There are stars from around world soccer in CAF, including dozens of Premier League players like Manchester United’s Andre Onana, West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, Tottenham’s Yves Bissouma, and a trio of Nottingham Forest stars on the Ivory Coast.
Competition will be fierce with only one guaranteed spot available to Mali and Ghana (Group I), Nigeria and South Africa (Group C), and Senegal and DR Congo (Group B). The first four matchdays are in the books, with World Cup qualification resuming in March 2025.
Here’s everything you need to know for African World Cup qualifying.
Premier League players in African (CAF) 2026 World Cup qualification
Algeria: Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolves)
Burkina Faso: Dango Ouattara (Bournemouth)
Cameroon: Andre Onana (Manchester United), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Carlos Baleba (Brighton)
Dem Rep of Congo: Yoane Wissa (Brentford), Axel Tuanzebe (Ipswich Town)
Egypt: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Sam Morsy (Ipswich Town)
Gabon: Mario Lemina (Wolves)
The Gambia: Yankuba Minteh (Brighton)
Ghana: Tariq Lamptey (Brighton), Mohammed Kudus (West Ham), Thomas Partey (Arsenal), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City), Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth), Jeff Schlupp (Crystal Palace), Ibrahima Osman (Brighton), Kamaldeen Sulemana (Southampton)
Guinea-Bissau: Beto (Everton)
Ivory Coast: Willy Boly (Nottingham Forest), Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest), Hamed Traore (Bournemouth), Simon Adingra (Brighton), Amad Diallo (Manchester United), Maxwel Cornet (Southampton), David Datro Fofana (Chelsea)
Mali: Yves Bissouma (Tottenham), Cheick Doucoure (Crystal Palace), Boubacar Traore (Wolves)
Morocco: Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United), Bilal El Khannous (Leicester City), Chadi Riad (Crystal Palace)
Nigeria: Calvin Bassey (Fulham), Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Frank Onyeka (Brentford), Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest), Joe Aribo (Southampton), Paul Onuachu (Southampton)
Senegal: Moussa Niakhate (Nottingham Forest), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Sarr (Tottenham), Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton)
Tunisia: Samy Chouchane (Brighton)
Zambia: Patson Daka (Leicester City)
Zimbabwe: Tawanda Chirewa (Wolves)
African (CAF) 2026 World Cup qualification format
- First round (Nov. 15, 2023 - Oct. 14 2025): 54 teams, nine groups, top team from each group qualifies for World Cup, four best runners-up go to playoff semifinals
- Second round (Nov. 10-18, 2025): Four best group runners-up stage semifinal, final. Winner plays inter-confederation playoff.
African (CAF) World Cup qualification schedule — Next first round fixtures
Matchday 5
March 17-18, 2025
Matchday 6
March 24-25, 2025
African (CAF) 2026 World Cup qualification — Standings/table
Group A
- Egypt — 3-1-0 — +9 GD — 10 points
- Guinea-Bissau — 1-3-0 — +1 GD — 6 points
- Burkina Faso — 1-2-1 — +2 GD — 5 point
- Sierra Leone — 1-2-1 — -1 GD — 5 points
- Ethiopia — 0-3-1 — -3 GD — 3 points
- Djibouti — 0-1-3 — -8 GD — 1 point
Group B
- Sudan — 3-1-0 — +6 GD — 10 points
- Senegal — 2-2-0 — +5 GD — 8 points
- Democratic Republic of Congo — 2-1-1 — +2 GD — 7 points
- Togo — 0-3-1 — -1 GD — 3 points
- South Sudan — 0-2-2 — -7 GD — 2 points
- Mauritania — 0-1-3 — -4 GD — 1 point
Group C
- Rwanda — 2-1-1— +2 GD — 7 points
- Benin — 2-1-1 — +1 GD — 7 points
- South Africa — 2-1-1— +1 GD — 7 points
- Lesotho — 1-2-1 — +1 GD — 5 points
- Nigeria — 0-3-1 — -1 GD — 3 points
- Zimbabwe — 0-2-2 — -4 GD — 2 points
Group D
- Cameroon — 2-2-0 — +6 GD — 8 points
- Libya — 2-1-1 — +1 GD — 7 points
- Cape Verde — 2-1-1 — 0 GD — 7 points
- Angola — 1-3-0 — +1 GD — 6 points
- Mauritius — 1-1-2 — -3 GD — 4 points
- Eswatini — 0-0-4— -5 GD — 0 points
Group E
- Morocco — 3-0-0 — +9 GD — 9 points
- Tanzania — 2-0-1 — 0 GD — 6 points
- Niger — 1-0-1 — 0 GD — 3 points
- Zambia — 1-0-3 — 0 GD — 3 points
- Republic of Congo — 0-0-2 — -8 GD — 0 points
- Eritrea — withdrew
Group F
- Ivory Coast — 3-1-0 — +12 GD — 10 points
- Gabon — 3-0-1 — +2 GD — 9 points
- Burundi — 2-1-1 — +2 GD — 7 points
- Kenya — 1-2-1 — +4 GD — 5 points
- Gambia — 1-0-3 — 0 GD — 3 points
- Seychelles — 0-0-4 — -20 GD — 0 points
Group G
- Algeria — 3-0-1 — +4 GD — 9 points
- Mozambique — 3-0-1 — +1 GD — 9 points
- Botswana — 2-0-2 — +1 GD — 6 points
- Guinea — 2-0-2 — 0 GD — 6 points
- Uganda — 2-0-2 — 01 GD — 6 points
- Somalia — 0-0-4 — -6 GD — 0 points
Group H
- Tunisia — 3-1-0 — +6 GD — 10 points
- Namibia — 2-2-0 — +5 GD — 8 points
- Liberia — 2-1-1 — +3 GD — 7 points
- Malawi — 2-0-2 — +1 GD — 6 points
- Equatorial Guinea — 1-0-3 — -6 GD — 3 points
- Sao Tome and Principe — 0-0-4 — -9 GD — 0 points
Group I
- Comoros — 3-0-1 — +4 GD — 9 points
- Ghana — 3-0-1 — +2 GD — 9 points
- Madagascar — 2-1-1 — +3 GD — 7 points
- Mali — 1-2-1 — +1 GD — 5 points
- Central African Republic — 1-1-2 — -2 GD — 4 points
- Chad — 0-0-4 — -8 GD — 0 points
African (CAF) World Cup qualification schedule — First round results
Matchday 1
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Equatorial Guinea 1-0 Namibia
Rwanda 0-0 Zimbabwe
DR Congo 2-0 Mauritania
Ethiopia 0-0 Sierra Leone
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Burundi 3-2 Gambia
Botswana 2-3 Mozambique
Nigeria 1-1 Lesotho
Sudan 1-1 Togo
Gabon 2-1 Kenya
Algeria 3-1 Somalia
Egypt 6-0 Djibouti
Morocco vs Eritrea — canceled
Cape Verde 0-0 Angola
Friday, November 17, 2023
Eswatini 0-1 Libya
Comoros 4-2 Central African Republic
Guinea 2-1 Uganda
Liberia 0-1 Malawi
Zambia 4-2 Rep. Congo
Ghana 1-0 Madagascar
Mali 3-1 Chad
Burkina Faso 1-1 Guinea-Bissau
Tunisia 4-0 Sao Tome and Principe
Ivory Coast 9-0 Seychelles
Cameroon 3-0 Mauritius
Saturday, November 18, 2023
South Africa 2-1 Benin
Niger 0-1 Tanzania
Senegal 4-0 South Sudan
Matchday 2
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Zimbabwe 1-1 Nigeria
Burundi 1-2 Gabon
Mozambique 0-2 Algeria
Sudan 1-0 DR Congo
Sierra Leone 0-2 Egypt
Monday, November 20, 2023
Djibouti 0-1 Guinea-Bissau
Gambia 0-2 Ivory Coast
Eritrea vs Rep Congo — canceled
Liberia 0-1 Equatorial Guinea
Seychelles 0-5 Kenya
Mali 1-1 Central African Republic
Chad 0-3 Madagascar
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Lesotho 0-0 Benin
Ethiopia 0-3 Burkina Faso
Somalia 0-1 Uganda
Eswatini 0-2 Cape Verde
Malawi 0-1 Tunisia
Botswana 1-0 Guinea
Rwanda 2-0 South Africa
Togo 0-0 Senegal
Comoros 1-0 Ghana
South Sudan 0-0 Mauritania
Mauritius 0-0 Angola
Libya 1-1 Cameroon
Sao Tome and Principe 0-2 Namibia
Tanzania 0-2 Morocco
Niger 2-1 Zambia
June 3, 2024
Libya 2-1 Mauritius
Mali 1-2 Ghana
Kenya 1-1 Burundi
Gambia 5-1 Seychelles
Angola 1-0 Eswatini
Namibia 1-1 Liberia
Morocco 2-1 Zambia
Senegal 1-1 DR Congo
Benin 1-0 Rwanda
Ivory Coast 1-0 Gabon
Tunisia 1-0 Equatorial Guinea
Sierra Leone 2-1 Djibouti
Egypt 2-1 Burkina Faso
Malawi 3-1 Sao Tome and Principe
Mauritania 0-2 Sudan
Central African Republic 1-0 Chad
Rep Congo vs Niger — postponed
Togo 1-1 South Sudan
Zimbabwe 0-2 Lesotho
Mozambique 2-1 Somalia
Madagascar 2-1 Comoros
Guinea-Bissau 0-0 Ethiopia
Nigeria 1-1 South Africa
Uganda 1-0 Botswana
Cameroon 4-1 Cape Verde
Algeria 1-0 Guinea
June 10, 2024
Somalia 1-3 Botswana
Benin 2-1 Nigeria
Sao Tome and Principe 0-1 Liberia
Djibouti 1-1 Ethiopia
DR Congo 1-0 Togo
Mauritania 0-1 Senegal
Equatorial Guinea 1-0 Malawi
Burkina Faso 2-2 Sierra Leone
Uganda 1-2 Algeria
Namibia 0-0 Tunisia
Guinea 0-1 Mozambique
Ghana 4-3 Central African Republic
Guinea-Bissau 1-1 Egypt
June 11, 2024
Madagascar 0-0 Mali
Mauritius 2-1 Eswatini
Kenya 0-0 Ivory Coast
South Sudan 0-3 Sudan
South Africa 3-1 Zimbabwe
Zambia 0-1 Tanzania
Cape Verde 1-0 Libya
Lesotho 0-1 Rwanda
Chad 0-2 Comoros
Rep Congo 0-6 Morocco
Gabon 3-2 Gambia
Angola 1-1 Cameroon
Seychelles 1-3 Burundi
