2026 World Cup qualifiers: Tunisia, Côte d'Ivoire... Ranking the best defenses | OneFootball

Ranking the top defenses in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers

Côte d’Ivoire/FIF

Both Tunisia and Côte d'Ivoire, who have secured their spots in the final phase of the 2026 World Cup, pulled off the remarkable feat of not conceding a single goal across 10 qualifying matches. A true defensive masterclass.

In addition to the Carthage Eagles and the Elephants, the Atlas Lions and the Pharaohs also posted stellar defensive stats, conceding only 2 goals each throughout the entire qualifiers.

Senegal let in 3 goals, while Cameroon conceded 5. Rounding out the top 10 are Ghana, DR Congo, South Africa, Mali, and Sudan, each allowing six goals.

Notably, Seychelles endured a tough campaign, finishing at the bottom of this defensive ranking with 53 goals conceded.

Here is the ranking of the best defenses in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers (Africa):

1. Côte d'Ivoire – 0 goals conceded

2. Tunisia – 0

3. Morocco – 2

4. Egypt – 2

5. Senegal – 3

6. Cameroon – 5

7. Ghana – 6

8. DR Congo – 6

9. South Africa – 6

10. Mali – 6

11. Sudan – 6

12. Tanzania – 7

13. Nigeria – 8

14. Algeria – 8

15. Burkina Faso – 8

16. Guinea – 8

17. Angola – 8

18. Cape Verde – 8

19. Uganda – 9

20. Gabon – 9

21. Equatorial Guinea – 9

22. Rwanda – 9

23. Zambia – 10

24. Libya – 10

25. Niger – 10

26. Togo – 10

27. Sierra Leone – 10

28. Guinea-Bissau – 10

29. Namibia – 10

30. Malawi – 10

31. Benin – 11

32. Madagascar – 12

33. Zimbabwe – 12

34. Liberia – 12

35. Mauritania – 13

36. Comoros – 13

37. Burundi – 13

38. Kenya – 14

39. Ethiopia – 14

40. Lesotho – 14

41. Botswana – 16

42. Mozambique – 17

43. Mauritius – 17

44. Gambia – 18

45. Congo – 18

46. South Sudan – 19

47. Eswatini – 19

48. Somalia – 20

49. Central African Republic – 24

50. Chad – 24

51. São Tomé and Príncipe – 26

52. Djibouti – 33

53. Seychelles – 53