The CAF Qualifiers for direct qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup are concluded. 9 teams secured qualification, with the final match day qualifying nations like Cape Verde for their first World Cup, while Nigeria was handed a lifeline through the inter-confederation playoffs qualification path. Here is your look at the October window for CAF. We also have reviews of the World Cup qualifying for Asia and Europe this window.
Egypt and Algeria Join Tunisia and Morocco in the 2026 FIFA World Cup
North Africa completed a dominant World Cup qualifying campaign, Egypt finished 8-2-0 and qualified 5 points clear of second place, while second place Burkina Faso in group A (6-3-1) was left out of the final playoff places for the inter-confederation playoffs.
Algeria topped their group with an 8-1-1 record and 25 points. Morocco was undefeated in qualifying (8-0-0), and Tunisia did the same with a 9-1-0 record. While Libya finished 4-4-2 and third in their group. That means North African nations combined for 28 wins and just three defeats during the World Cup qualifiers.
Algeria’s striker Mohamed Amoura from Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga topped goal scoring during qualifying with 10 goals, Mohamed Salah for Egypt had 9 goals. Egypt conceded just twice during qualifying and believe they have a squad that challenges teams globally.
A Maiden World Cup for Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks
Cape Verde was the headline team from the CAF qualifying, the nation of just 600,000 will make their world cup review after going 7-2-1 and compiling 23 points in their group, four points clear of Cameroon, and also clear of Libya and former World Cup participants Angola. A 3-3 draw with Libya was the penultimate game of the campaign, returning home to the nation’s capital of Praia, Cape Verde knew a win would lock in their qualification. The first half was cagey, but three second half goals from players who play their domestic football in Portugal and Cyprus put them through with a 3-0 win over Eswatini. Cameroon was held to a scoreless draw against Angola.
24 year old Casa Pia forward Dailon Rocha Livramento, who was born in Rotterdam and came up through the Dutch system was their top scorer with four goals, but overall their qualification was a team effort, and a sign of FIFA’s expanded World Cup being a net benefit for the global game. 35 yera old captain Ryan Mendes (ex Lille and Nottingham Forest, currently at Kocaelispor in Turkey) will lead his country to the world cup. No one on the Cape Verde squad plays their domestic football within CAF, rather they hail from diverse leagues including the League of Ireland, Israeli Premier League, Cypriot First Division, and MLS. If they get a World Cup game in Boston, expect the Lusophone diaspora to come out in large numbers to support the team.
Ghana, South Africa, Ivory Coast and Senegal Return to the World Cup
Cape Verde are the only debutant to secure their direct qualification place. The remaining qualifiers are Ghana‘s black stars, who finished 8-1-1 in their group, a talented and in-form Ivory Coast team that finished 8-2-0 and narrowly beat Gabon to top their group by just one point. The Ivory Coast squad boasts Villarreal’s Nicolas Pepe and Roma’s Evan Ndicka, along with younger talent like Manchester United’s Amad Diallo and Leipzig’s Yan Diomande. Ghana’s squad as rising Tottenham player Mohammed Kudus, and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.
South Africa suffered a points deduction for fielding an ineligible player but with a recorded 5-3-2 record they cleared their group over Nigeria and Benin by just one point. South Africa drew with Zimbabwe and then defeated Rwanda 3-0 to secure qualification. The South Africa squad has Burnley’s Lyle Foster and a mostly domestic based team. It’s the first World Cup celebrations for South Africa since they hosted a memorable 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Senegal showed their talent going undefeated with a 7-3-0 record and surpassing DR Congo by just 2 points in their group. Senegal dominated their final two group games, and although DR Congo won both games as well, it was Senegal that came out ahead. Sadio Mane (Al Nassr) and Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham) combined for 9 goals scored for Senegal during qualifying.
Cameroon or Nigeria Could Miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup
CAF will send just one team to the inter-continental playoffs to take on the likes of Bolivia and New Caledonia. The final four pits Nigeria vs Gabon and Cameroon vs DR Congo, the winner of those games play for the final spot.
Nigeria has made six World Cups historically but has struggled with qualifying, wins over Lesotho (2-1) and a hat trick performance from Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen in a 4-0 win over Benin put Nigeria through to the playoff stage on goal differential over Benin. A squad that features Osimhen, Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman and Fulham’s Alex Iwobi may fail to qualify. They only advanced into this phase over Burkina Faso on a one goal difference.
Gabon have proven how dangerous their side is, a small nation in terms of football prowess that has never made the World Cup, LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and Marseille’s Pierre-Emrick Aubameyang at age 36 combined for 15 goals during the qualifying campaign.
DR Congo boasts Betis Cedric Bakambu, and Sunderland’s Arthur Masuaku in the squad, they won both of their October qualifiers. With one World Cup appearance (1974), they will take on a Cameroon side that has been to the World Cup 8 times. A draw with Angola was just another disappointing result for a side that has struggled to win games. Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo and Trabzonspor’s Andre Onana’s are in this squad.
The final three games in this region will take place on November 13th and 16th for the inter-continental playoff spot. While Cameroon and Nigeria have more football pedigree, neither are clear favorites to survive this phase, and the remaining games are set to be compelling.
Main Photo Credit: Imago Images Copyright: xAymanxArefx
