Tunisia, Morocco Clinch World Cup Spots

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Hooligan Soccer

·11 September 2025

Tunisia, Morocco Clinch World Cup Spots

The expanded World Cup group stage allowed the African Confederation (CAF) nine teams instead of the usual five. As a result, CAF created a new qualification format, dividing the countries into nine groups of six teams, with double round-robin fixtures.

Eight of these ten matches have now been played, and Tunisia and Morocco clinched; seven spots remain. The pool of potential qualifiers for those berths is narrowed down to a handful.

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There is a sliver of opportunity for those who don’t directly qualify. The four best second-place teams will compete in a battle royale second round, but that team will then have to compete in the March inter-confederation tourney. That won’t be easy.

Group A

Egypt Guaranteed at least a top two finish, the Pharaohs need only one win over either Guinea-Bissau or last-place Djibouti to punch their Word Cup ticket.
Burkina Faso Unless Egypt completely goes off the rails, Les Étalions only chance to get to the World Cup is to get into that second round. October’s match with Sierra Leone (12 pts.) will determine their future. Win and a second round trip should be guaranteed.

Group B

Senegal Sitting top of the group with 18 pts., Senegal are in a solid position but cannot afford to be complacent. Their next two games are against the bottom teams Mauritania and South Sudan; wins against both are the only guarantee for qualification.
Democratic Republic of Congo While watching the outcome of Senegal’s games, DR Congo have to keep their eyes on their own prize. Two wins (and a Senegal stumble) will see them through to the World Cup; a win over Sudan in October at least secures a path to the second round.
Sudan The Falcons of Jediane can qualify directly, but only if an unlikely sequence of events occur: Senegal and DR Congo must lose all their remaining games and Sudan must overcome the +7 goal difference.

Group C

South Africa As the leader of the tightest qualification group, South Africa is at least ensured of a second round opportunity, even if they lose out. But a win could get them a World Cup berth depending on Benin’s results.
Benin It’s quite a simple scenario for Les Guépards: win out and you’re in the second round (at least). Lose a game and your fate is no longer your own.
Nigeria & Rwanda It’s so unusual to see the Super Eagles in this precarious position. No less bizarre that Rwanda (not renowned for their soccer prowess) sits on the same number of points. For both, winning the next two games could get them a second round berth.

Group D

Cape Verde The Turarões Azuis have yet to lose at home; October’s match against last place Eswatini won’t change that trend, and that win locks them in for the World Cup.
Cameroon Second best is an unfamiliar position for the Indomitable Lions. Realistically, the best they can achieve is a second round slot, but only if they can hold off Libya, who sit one point behind them.

Group E

Morocco The first CAF team to have qualified, they can snooze through their remaining fixtures.
Tanzania, Niger & Zambia The Group’s second round position is up for grabs, with Niger in the stronger position as they have a game in hand over Tanzania. But the reality is, with their low points none of these three teams is likely to make the top four of the runners-up.

Group F

Ivory Coast & Gabon It’s a two horse race here. Tuesday’s 0 – 0 draw between Ivory Coast & Gabon likely condemned the latter to the second round. Sure, there’s a chance Ivory Coast might lose or draw one of their next games, but so far they’re unbeaten in group play and haven’t conceded a goal in six matches.

Group G

Algeria October’s match against Somalia is the soccer equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel, and locks in their top-spot regardless of the outcome against Uganda. Destiny in your hands!
Uganda & Mozambique Same record, same points, but Uganda have the edge with a +8 goal differential. Both are playing to move onto the second round. Their last two games are on the road; they’ll be hoping Algeria will have qualified and field a weaker side when they meet. Mozambique is simply looking for Uganda to trip up.

Group H

Tunisia Congratulations to the Eagles of Carthage who have clinched their World Cup spot with two games to go!
Namibia As the leader in a four-way fight for that coveted second spot by a four point cushion, Namibia must keep up the intensity. Their final matches are on the road at Tunisia and Liberia. No gimmes there. Tunisia might field a weaker side; Liberia definitely won’t. It’s theirs to lose.
Liberia, Malawi & Equatorial Guinea Like vultures, they’re circling around Namibia and waiting for them to fall to their knees.

Group I

Ghana One more win and the Black Stars are in. They won’t care who it’s against.
Madagascar & Comoros The two Indian Ocean nations are quite close, and with their current points total could make a strong push to make the top four runners-up.