Egypt’s hopes of securing an early spot in the 2026 World Cup have been dashed after a 0-0 draw with Burkina Faso on Tuesday. The result means Egypt will have to wait and see how their remaining qualifying matches play out.
So far, Morocco and Tunisia are the only African teams to have booked their places in next summer’s tournament. The latest round of qualifying saw several teams in action, with some taking significant steps towards securing their spots.
In Group C, South Africa, who lead the group, had hoped to join Morocco and Tunisia in qualifying but were forced to wait after a 1-1 draw with Nigeria. The result means South Africa’s qualification hopes remain alive, but they will have to navigate their remaining fixtures carefully.
Cape Verde pulled off a major upset, defeating Cameroon 1-0 and sparking wild celebrations, including a pitch invasion. The win marked Cape Verde’s fifth consecutive World Cup qualifying victory and propelled them to the top of Group D with 19 points, four points clear of Cameroon.
Nigeria, a six-time World Cup participant, is in danger of missing out on the tournament for the second consecutive edition. The Super Eagles trail South Africa by six points, making their task of qualifying even more daunting.
Senegal staged an impressive comeback against the Democratic Republic of Congo, winning 3-2 to maintain their position at the top of Group B. In Group F, Ivory Coast remains in first place after a 0-0 draw with Gabon, but the two teams are separated by just a single point.
Gabon’s Denis Bouanga currently leads the goalscoring charts with eight goals, narrowly ahead of Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, who has seven. As the qualifying campaign continues, several teams will be looking to secure their places in the 2026 World Cup, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the qualifiers.
The outcome of the remaining matches will determine which African teams will participate in the 2026 World Cup, and fans will be eagerly awaiting the results. With several teams still in contention, the qualifying campaign is poised to deliver plenty of drama and excitement in the coming weeks.
