The race for Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup spots is heating up, with surprising results, dominant performances, and intense competition across all groups. Here are the major highlights from the qualifiers so far:
Salah Leads the Scoring Charts
Liverpool’s prolific forward, Mohamed Salah, continues to showcase his goal-scoring prowess on the international stage. The 32-year-old Egyptian tops the African qualifiers’ scoring charts with six goals, making him a key player in Egypt’s likely qualification.
Salah made an explosive start, scoring four goals in a 6-0 demolition of Djibouti on matchday one in Cairo. He later added crucial goals in away fixtures against Guinea-Bissau and Ethiopia to maintain his lead in the goal tally.
Trailing close behind, Algerian striker Mohamed Amoura netted a hat-trick against Mozambique in a commanding 5-1 victory, taking his total to five goals, alongside five other top scorers.
Group C: The Upset Zone
Group C—featuring South Africa, Rwanda, Benin, Nigeria, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe—has emerged as the most unpredictable group so far.
- Lesotho stunned Nigeria by securing a shock draw in Uyo.
- Rwanda took advantage of harsh weather conditions to beat South Africa on a rain-soaked pitch.
- Benin staged an impressive comeback to defeat Nigeria, further complicating the Super Eagles’ path to qualification.
- Zimbabwe delivered another upset this week when Tawanda Chirewa struck in added time to force a 1-1 draw against Nigeria.
With such unexpected results, this group remains wide open heading into the final rounds.
Most Common Scorelines
Tight contests have been a defining feature of the qualifiers so far:
- 1-0 has been the most frequent scoreline, occurring 33 times across 151 matches.
- 2-1 and 2-0 results followed closely, with 21 occurrences each.
- Draws have also been common, with 19 matches ending 1-1 and 15 finishing goalless.
High-scoring games have been rare, with only:
- Three 5-0 results
- Two 6-0 scorelines
- Two 5-1 victories
The biggest win of the qualifiers so far saw Ivory Coast crush Seychelles 9-0 in a one-sided affair.
Top Seeds Holding Firm
As expected, most of the top-seeded teams have lived up to their billing, leading their groups with four matchdays remaining:
- Egypt, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, and Tunisia sit at the top of their respective groups.
- Cameroon and Senegal are second, trailing Cape Verde and DR Congo by a single point.
- Mali and Nigeria, however, have struggled, both languishing in fourth place and trailing their group leaders Ghana and South Africa by six points.
Morocco’s Perfect Run
2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco have been the most dominant team in the qualifiers, boasting a 100% record. The Atlas Lions have won all five of their matches so far, making them the only team with a perfect streak.
Their results include:
- Two 2-0 wins over Tanzania
- A 2-1 victory against Zambia
- A crushing 6-0 win over Congo Brazzaville
- A 2-1 triumph against Niger
Interestingly, both Congo and Niger played their designated home matches in Morocco, with Niger forced to do so due to the lack of a FIFA-approved stadium.
Looking Ahead
With just four matchdays remaining—two in September and two in October—the race for Africa’s 2026 World Cup slots is set to become even more intense.
File: Super Eagles
Will Nigeria and Mali turn their fortunes around? Can Morocco maintain their perfect run? And will more upsets shake up the qualification standings?
The next phase of matches promises to be decisive as Africa’s top teams battle for a place on the world’s biggest football stage.
