2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers draw has been released with all the 54 members of CAF knowing their respective opponents.
The expanded tournament will now see African send 9 representatives directly into the group stage with one more representative to be decided via playoffs.
2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers module
The 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers will feature all the 54 member nations in the group stages. A total of 9 groups comprising of 6 teams have been created.
All the group winners will automatically book their place in the group stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup while four best second-placed teams will go into CAF playoffs to decide one CAF representative on FIFA intercontinental playoffs.
2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers highlights
The draw which was made in Abidjan in Ivory Coast will feature rollercoaster matches and fixtures. All eyes will be on one of the best and most successful World Cup team in Africa – Morocco.
The African giants have been handed a relatively mild but not-so-easy draw. The are pitted against African champions, Zambia, including Congo, Niger Republical and Eritrea.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria, who failed to qualify for the last edition of the tournament after losing on away-goal rule to Ghana will battle it out with South Africa, who were the first African country to host the tournament in 2010.
Also pitted with the Super Eagles of Nigeria are Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Benin Republic.
African giants Senegal will tackle Sudan, South Sudan, Congo DR, and Mauritania while Egypt, who also missed out of the last edition of the tournament, will take on Ethiopia, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone.
Another African giant, Algeria, who also failed to qualify for the last edition are pitted against Guinea, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana
Somalia.
Tunisia who crashed out in the group stage of the last edition of the tournament will attempt to qualify for the tournament again when they take Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia, and São Tomé and Príncipe
Full Fixtures of 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers group stage Draw
Group A
Egypt
Burkina Faso
Guinea-Bissau
Sierra Leone
Ethiopia
Djibouti
Group B
Senegal
Congo DR
Mauritania
Togo
Sudan
South Sudan
Group C
Nigeria
South Africa
Benin
Zimbabwe
Rwanda
Lesotho
Group D
Cameroon
Cabo Verde
Angola
Libya
Eswatini
Mauritius
Group E
Morocco
Zambia
Congo
Tanzania
Niger
Eritrea
Group F
Côte d’Ivoire
Gabon
Kenya
The Gambia
Burundi
Seychelles
Group G
Algeria
Guinea
Uganda
Mozambique
Botswana
Somalia
Group H
Tunisia
Equatorial Guinea
Namibia
Malawi
Liberia
São Tomé and Príncipe
Group I
Mali
Ghana
Madagascar
Central African Republic
Comoros
Chad
When will 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers start?
The competition will kickoff on November 13, 2023 and will be played on 10 matchdays in two years before the tournament kicks off with the first matchday starting on November 13, 2023 and climaxing with the playoffs on November 18, 2025.
