As the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying series in Africa draws to a close, five countries are still battling for the four remaining play-off spots.
A total of nine teams will qualify automatically for the World Cup from the African zone, while one more team will join them through the inter-confederation play-offs.
The play-offs will feature four of the best second-placed teams from the group stage. Here’s how the race stands:
Gabon – Group F (19 points)
Gabon are second behind Côte d’Ivoire, who are leading comfortably and still have two games against Seychelles and Kenya. Gabon will face Gambia and Burundi in their final matches, hoping to secure one of the play-off positions.
Madagascar – Group I (16 points)
Madagascar must beat Comoros in their next game and finish strongly against Mali to stand a chance. Ghana, who currently top the group, are expected to maintain their lead with matches against Central African Republic and Comoros.
Congo – Group B (16 points)
Congo are set to play Sudan and Togo, both sitting just below them. However, they may still finish second to Senegal, who have easier fixtures — an away game against South Sudan and a home tie against Mauritania.
Burkina Faso – Group A (15 points)
Burkina Faso trail Egypt by five points and will aim for back-to-back wins over Sierra Leone and Ethiopia to boost their hopes of finishing second. Egypt look set to top the group, with their remaining matches against Djibouti and Guinea-Bissau.
South Africa – Group C (14 points)
South Africa suffered a setback after losing three points due to FIFA sanctions for fielding an ineligible player. They now sit second in Group C, level on points with Benin Republic. South Africa face Zimbabwe and Rwanda next and will be desperate to reach the play-offs despite recent challenges.
Their qualification hopes could be helped by the upcoming clash between Nigeria (third) and Benin Republic (first), where one of the two is likely to drop crucial points.
With only a few games left, the battle for Africa’s final play-off places promises to be fierce — and every goal could make the difference.
