Do miracles still happen?
For Super Eagles, it will take an inexplicable situation for the team not to miss two back-to-back FIFA World Cup finals, as the qualifiers for the 2026 edition are concluded with two fixtures this international break.
Next door neighbours Benin Republic — and not “giants” Nigeria — are the most likely beneficiaries of the recent deduction of points and goals from South Africa’s Bafana Bafana for fielding an ineligible player in the qualifiers. That decision made the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosts lose their leadership of Group C.
But the southern African side have an advantage over Benin, both level on 14 points from eight games with the latter only having goal difference advantage. While the Cheetahs are away to Rwanda and Nigeria in their last matches, South Africa will be enjoying home advantage against Zimbabwe and Rwanda. Although Zimbabwe will be the home side on Friday when they face Bafana Bafana, the Warriors will be playing at South Africa’s third-most populous city, Durban.
Nigeria’s matches against Lesotho will also be played in South Africa — in the city of Polokwane — meaning that fans will likely turn against the Super Eagles, further diminishing their faint hope of being in a good place for the playoff.
On the final day of the qualifiers, Nigeria will host Benin Republic.
Unlike Nigeria, who missed the last edition of the world’s greatest single sport competition by losing at the last stage to bitter rivals Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia have also pulled through to the finals leaving seven automatic spots to be filled in the next seven days.
Morocco, in Group E, confirmed their place on 5 September after beating visiting Niger Republic 5-0, even as the Atlas Lions had two more matches to go. Group E had been reduced from six to five teams when Eritrea pulled out just before the qualifiers commenced.
In Group H, Tunisia also joined the list of the 2026 FIFA World Cup finalists three days after their fellow north Africans had done so. On Matchday 8, the Eagles of Carthage beat Equatorial Guinea by a lone goal in front of their home fans in Malabo.
On Matchday 9, which opens tomorrow (Wednesday) with 11 matches on the card, more teams are likely to add to the two finalists — Morocco and Tunisia. Among them are Egypt, Cape Verde and Algeria with Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana waiting for the final Matchday to qualify if they keep doing well.
In Group A, Egypt will be away to Djibouti on Wednesday needing maximum points to be sure of keeping Burkina Faso at bay. The Pharaohs walloped Djibouti 6-0 in the first leg. But Egypt will still qualify even if they lose, as long as Sierra Leone do them a favour by defeating travelling Burkinabe.
Burkina Faso will make it if they win against Sierra Leone and Ethiopia. But that will require Egypt failing to picking only a point in their remaining fixtures and having inferior goal difference to the Stallions. Whatever happens, Burkina Faso have a good chance of being among the continent’s best four group losers who will navigate through playoffs involving five other teams from South America, Asia and Oceania confederations to produce two finalists.
Cape Verde Islands have shocked bookmakers with their run in the qualifiers. Pitched against 1990 FIFA World Cup quarterfinalists, Cameroon, in Group D, not many football fans gave the island country a change to emerge on top. By Matchday 3 when the Indomitable Lions smashed Cape Verde 4-1 in Yaoundé, it was déjà vu.
But Cape Verde turned things around, while Cameroon managed two consecutive draws until they found their bearing. With four points clear of the Lions, Cape Verde now require only a win either away to Libya or at home against Eswatini to be among Africa’s representatives to the next FIFA World Cup.
Cameroon, who have been to the FIFA World Cup finals an African record eight times, may then have to post good results versus Mauritius (away) and Angola at home to feature among the continent’s best four losers. But they have Libya to contend with here as only a point separates both sides.
In Group G, Algeria will be on the flight to North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup if they beat Somalia on Thursday. It’s a home match for the East Africans, but it will be played at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium, in Algeria’s Bir El Djir. The Desert Warriors are not likely to disappoint by claiming maximum points in front of their fans.
Uganda, who are four points short of Algeria, should begin to prepare for the playoffs to reach their first FIFA World Cup finals. Playing their last matches away against Botswana and Algeria, the task is not made easy for the Cranes.
In Group B, Senegal require four points to be sure of another FIFA World Cup finals. The Lions of Teranga, who reached the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals in 2002, travel to Juba to face South Sudan on Friday, and return home to play Mauritania next Tuesday.
Senegal are in contention in the group with second placed DR Congo who first play Togo on Friday in Lomé before hosting Sudan four days after.
Either of the two top runners in this group — Senegal or DR Congo — will be in the playoffs.
Only one point separates the top two sides in Group F where Côte d’Ivoire are the leaders. And only the two of them remain in contention for either automatic ticket or a chance through the playoffs.
The Elephants must win away to Seychelles and at home to Kenya to get Gabon behind them. The latter are however better opportune giving that their last two matches are at home to The Gambia and Burundi.
For the Black Stars of Ghana also, winning their remaining two matches is the best route to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, as only three points are between them and Group I runners-up Madagascar. Ghana will be hosted by Central African Republic on Wednesday, and welcome Comoros exactly a week later in Accra.
Madagascar have a more difficult duty being on the road to Comoros and Mali. It’s made tougher with Comoros very much in the running for playoffs spot.
Matchday 9 (All times West Africa’s)
Wednesday (8 October)
Eswatini vs Angola, Ethiopia vs Guinea Bissau, Libya vs Cape Verde, Mauritius vs Cameroon (all 2 pm); Central African Republic vs Ghana, Chad vs Mali, Comoros vs Madagascar, Djibouti vs Egypt, Sierra Leone v Burkina Faso (all 5 pm); Niger Republic vs Congo Republic, Tanzania vs Zambia (both 8 pm)
Thursday (9 October)
Burundi vs Kenya (2 pm), Botswana vs Uganda, Liberia vs Namibia, Malawi vs Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique vs Guinea, Somalia vs Algeria (all 5 pm)
Friday (10 October)
Gambia vs Gabon, Seychelles vs Côte d’Ivoire, South Sudan vs Senegal, Sudan vs Mauritania, Togo vs DR Congo (all 2pm); Lesotho vs Nigeria, Rwanda vs Benin, São Tomé and Príncipe vs Tunisia, Zimbabwe vs South Africa (all 5 pm)
