2026 CAF World Cup Qualifiers

Rules, Schedule, and Results

The World Cup, one of the most-watched tournaments in the world, is currently in full swing with its qualification process. In the previous article, we discussed the rules, schedule, and results of the AFC qualification.

In this article, we will introduce the 2026 CAF World Cup Qualifiers, along with the schedule and results.

CAF World Cup Qualifiers Rules

The 2026 CAF World Cup Qualifiers offer nine direct spots for the final tournament and one spot for an intercontinental playoff. However, the matches will not be held in Africa, but in countries like the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Before the qualifiers started, nine teams received automatic qualification spots. The CAF Executive Committee announced the new qualification format on May 19, 2023.

Compared to the more complex AFC World Cup qualifiers, the 2026 CAF World Cup Qualifiers are simpler, but there are still two rounds of matches.

The first round consists of 9 groups, with 8 groups having 6 teams each and 1 group with 5 teams (due to Eritrea’s withdrawal). Each team will play home and away matches against every other team in their group. The winner of each group will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

After the group stage, the four best second-place teams will enter a playoff. This will be a knockout round with two one-off semi-finals. The winners of these matches will advance to the FIFA World Cup Playoff Tournament to compete for the final spot.

CAF World Cup Qualifiers Schedule

The first round of the 2026 CAF World Cup qualifiers will take place in stages between 2023 and 2025. The matches will be played in November 2023, July 2024, March 2025, September 2025, and October 2025.

The second round of the tournament will focus on the 10th to 18th of November 2025.

Groupings and Results

A Group

1. Egypt, points: 10

2. Guinea-Bissau, points: 6

3. Burkina Faso, points: 5

4. Sierra Leone, points: 5

5. Ethiopia, points: 3

6. Djibouti, points: 1

Egypt is currently first in their group, performing consistently, and has a good chance of qualifying.

B GROUP

1. Sudan, points: 10

2. Senegal, points: 8

3. Congo DR, points: 7

4. Togo, points: 3

5. South Sudan, points: 2

6. Mauritania, points: 1

Senegal is a strong team in Africa. Although Sudan is leading, Senegal is still a strong contender for qualification.

C GROUP

1. Rwanda, points: 7

2. South Africa, points: 7

3. Benin, points: 7

4. Lesotho, points: 5

5. Nigeria, points: 3

6. Zimbabwe, points: 2

D GROUP

1. Cameroon, points: 8

2. Libya, points: 7

3. Cabo Verde, points: 7

4. Angola, points: 6

5. Mauritius, points: 4

6. Eswatini, points: 0

E GROUP

• Morocco, points: 9

• Niger, points: 6

• Tanzania, points: 6

• Zambia, points: 3

• Congo, points: 0

• Eritrea, points: 0

Morocco is currently leading their group and is highly ranked in Africa, so their qualification is almost certain.

F GROUP

1. Côte d’Ivoire, points: 10

2. Gabon, points: 9

3. Burundi, points: 7

4. Kenya, points: 5

5. Gambia, points: 3

6. Seychelles, points: 0

Côte d’Ivoire is leading their group and is a strong team, with a high chance of qualifying.

G GROUP

1. Algeria, points: 9

2. Mozambique, points: 9

3. Botswana, points: 6

4. Guinea, points: 6

5. Uganda, points: 6

6. Somalia, points: 0

Algeria is tied with Mozambique for the group lead and has a good chance of qualifying.

H GROUP

1. Tunisia, points: 10

2. Namibia, points: 8

3. Liberia, points: 7

4. Malawi, points: 6

5. Equatorial Guinea, points: 3

6. São Tomé and Príncipe, points: 0

I GROUP

1. Comoros, points: 9

2. Ghana, points: 9

3. Madagascar, points: 7

4. Mali, points: 5

5. Central African Republic, points: 4

6. Chad, points: 0

Ghana is a traditional strong team and is tied with Comoros for the group lead, giving them a good chance to qualify.