Overview:
Nine African nations have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, South Africa and Cape Verde earning automatic places, while one of Gabon, Cameroon, Nigeria and DR Congo will join them through a continental play off in November and an inter-continental play off in March next year.
The nine nations that will represent Africa at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup are now known, following the conclusion of the qualifiers on Tuesday, 14 October 2025.
North Africans Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria join Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, South Africa, and debutants Cape Verde, who earned the automatic nine places after topping their respective groups.
One of Gabon, Cameroon, Nigeria and DR Congo will have an opportunity to join the nine if they get through a continental playoff first in November and later an inter-continental playoff in March next year.
Here is what you could have missed in the qualifying campaign that began in November 2023.
Most Points collected
Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles collected the most points in the qualifiers with 28 in 10 matches, dropping just two in the process. They will be at the World for a sixth time after appearances in 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018 & 2022.
Perfect Record
Morocco ended the qualifying campaign with a perfect record, winning eight matches in as many. It could perhaps have been better if Eritrea hadn’t withdrawn from group E. The Atlas Lions are Africa’s best performers at the World Cup after finishing 4th in Qatar at the last edition. It will be the 7th time at the World Cup after appearances in 1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018 & 2022.
They have already qualified for the 2030 edition as co-hosts.
Most Clean Sheets
Tunisia and Côte d’Ivoire didn’t concede any goals in their 10 qualifying matches.
Most Goals Scored
After shutting out all their opponents, the Elephants of Ivory Coast also topped the goal-scoring charts with 25 goals. Sekou Fofana, with 3 goals, leads the goal-scoring charts for the Ivory Coast, who have had 14 different scorers. Others are Simon Adingra, Frank Kessie, Karim Konate, Sebastien Haller, Yan Diamonde, Evann Guessand, Ibrahim Sangare, Hamed Junior Traore, Emmanuel Agbadou, Amad Diallo, Jean Phillipe Krasso, Vakoun Issouf Bayo, Omar Diakitte and Christian Koume.
The Invincibles
Five of the nine group leaders ended the qualifying campaign unbeaten: Tunisia, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Senegal and Morocco.
Win or lose – no stalemates
Eight teams didn’t draw any of their matches, including Uganda Cranes. The others are Mozambique, Morocco, Niger, Zambia, Seychelles, Sao Tome and Principe and Comoros.
No win, no draw – all defeats
Only one nation failed to pick a single point in the qualifiers and that is Seychelles who lost all their 10 matches in Group F, conceding a record 53 goals and scoring just 2 goals.
Top scorer
Two late penalties against Uganda made Algeria forward Mohamed Amoura the top scorer of the campaign with 10 goals in as many matches.
He also notched 4 assists to get the highest goal involvement alongside Ghana captain Jordan Ayew (GS 7, Assists 7).
Egypt and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (9 goals, 3 assists), Gabon’s Dennis Bounga (8 goals, 2 assists) and Gambia’s Mohamed Barrow (6 goals, 4 assists) are other players with double figures in goals contribution.
Uganda’s Allan Okello (3 goals, 4 assists) and Kenya’s Micheal Olunga (6 goals, 1 assist) follow behind.
Most wins
Tunisia won the most matches, nine in the qualifying campaign, drawing just once in 10 matches.
