Mohamed Salah & Egypt Clinch World Cup Berth | OneFootball

It’s been a dramatic matchday 9 in the CAF World Cup qualifying. Congratulations are in order to a number of countries who stamped their ticket to the 2026 event, but there is plenty left to play for as some groups will be decided on the final group stage fixtures.

Winners from the nine groups will automatically qualify for the World Cup. The four best runners up (by points), will enter a second round held in November to winnow down to a single team that travels to March’s Inter-Confederation Playoffs.

We’ll break all the news down by group for you.

Group A – An Egyptian Clinch

Group A Top Two. Source: Wikipedia.

It was prophesied back in Matchweek 6 that this would be the outcome, but it still needed to transpire. Egypt secured their World Cup berth on Wednesday with a comfortable 3 – 0 victory over winless Djibouti. Their next match against Guinea-Bissau is moot; expect them to field young up-and-comers if they show up at all. Burkina Faso’s 1 – 0 win over Sierra Leone elevates them into a solid position to qualify for the second round. Their Oct. 12 match against Ethiopia matters; a win should move them onwards.

Group B – Down to the Wire

Group B Top Three. Source: Wikipedia.

This group still has two games to play, and three teams in contention. The favorites are Senegal, whose next two matches are against the weakest sides in the group: Mauritania and South Sudan. Basically, qualification is theirs to lose. DR Congo has to pray for a Senegalese stumble, and win out their fixtures against Togo and Sudan. It’s a long shot, but at least a shot. Sudan, on 12 points, realistically has no chance.

Group C – The Widest of all Groups

Group C Top Five. Source: Wikipedia.

Astoundingly, with two games to play any one of FIVE teams are still in play. An earlier South African win over Lesotho was reversed after it was determined that they fielded an ineligible player. That has made this group incredibly close. I’m going to list all the remaining game fixtures… you can do the permutations.

Group D – Looking Good for the Little Guy

Group D Top Three. Source: Wikipedia.

Tiny Cape Verde, who drew Libya 3 – 3 on Wednesday, has at least guaranteed themselves a spot in the second round. A win over last-place Eswatini would send them to their first ever World Cup! Looking to spoil that party will be Cameroon. If they beat Angola and Cape Verde lose or draw, they will get the berth. Both games play on Monday, Oct. 13. And let’s not rule out dark horse Libya. If they can get to the second round and then win the Inter-Confederation Playoff that would mean every country in North Africa would go to the World Cup.

Group E – A Moroccan Clinch!

Group E Top Two. Source: Wikipedia.

This outcome was even more inevitable than Egypt’s. Morocco has gone a perfect seven for seven (the group only has five teams instead of six due to Eritrea‘s withdrawal from the competition), and only conceded two goals. Mathematically Niger have a chance to move on; but that will be determined by the CAF officials as they will have played two fewer games than all the other nations.

Group F – Down to Two

Group F Top Two. Source: Wikipedia.

It’s either Ivory Coast or Gabon. Separated by a single point, the outcome of their next two matches will decide who gets the golden ticket. Tomorrow, Ivory Coast travels to Seychelles for what is basically a guaranteed win (Seychelles have a -37 goal differential). Gabon travels to Gambia. Denis Bouanga was called up to the Gabon side, and was not present at LAFC’s win over Toronto. As much as the Golden Boot means to him, a first-ever World Cup slot for his nation is worth more.

Group G – Algeria Qualifies!

Group G Top Three. Source: Wikipedia.

A 3 – 0 victory over winless Somalia lifted Algeria into automatic qualification. Their next match is against second-place Uganda, 1 – 0 winners over Botswana today. With nothing to play for, and Uganda needing a win to lock in a second round berth, this match on Tuesday Oct. 14 is one to watch. Mozambique would need to beat Somalia by a minimum of 10 goals to even have a long-shot chance at the second-round. That’s not likely to happen.

Group H – Tunisia is World Cup bound!

Group H. Source: Wikipedia.

This group, like many others, has been fraught with issues. Today’s match between Malawi and Equatorial Guinea was abandoned; Guinea never bothered to travel. That country was also recently forced to forfeit two previous wins over an ineligible player. That knocked them out of second place to fifth, and elevated Namibia into possible second round contention (if they can defeat Tunisia on Monday, Oct. 13). Crazy. Meanwhile, Tunisia qualified back in September and hasn’t looked back.

Group I – It’s a Black Star World

Group I Top Two. Source: Wikipedia.

Even if Madagascar defeat Mali on Sunday, Oct. 12, they would still need a goal differential swing of 8 to qualify for the World Cup. It’s highly unlikely Ghana will lose to Comoros, let alone by four goals. I think we can send Ghana’s World Cup invitation in the mail.