The Africa World Cup qualifiers have been producing so much entertainment and shockers for many nations.
Nigeria is one of those currently struggling with five games already played and they remain in the fourth position.
This qualification series is different from others with Africa now getting an increased spot thanks to Morocco’s success at the last event.
Table of Contents
Team Table
GROUP A
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egypt | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 16 |
| 2 | Burkina Faso | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 11 |
| 3 | Sierra Leone | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 8 |
| 4 | Guinea-Bissau | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 6 |
| 5 | Ethiopia | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 3 |
| 6 | Djibouti | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 14 | -11 | 1 |
Egypt has been dominant amassing 16 points after five wins and a draw. Close on its heels are Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone.
Both countries are with 11 and 8 points, making for a tightly contested race in a group that also includes Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia, and Djibouti.
GROUP B
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DR Congo | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 13 |
| 2 | Senegal | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 12 |
| 3 | Sudan | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 12 |
| 4 | Togo | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 4 |
| 5 | South Sudan | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | -8 | 3 |
| 6 | Mauritania | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | -7 | 2 |
DR Congo tops the group with 13 points, followed by a resilient Senegal (12 points) and Sudan (12 points).
Lesser ranked sides like Togo, Mauritania, and South Sudan add further drama to the standings as of now.
GROUP C
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 13 |
| 2 | Rwanda | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | +0 | 8 |
| 3 | Benin | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 8 |
| 4 | Nigeria | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 7 |
| 5 | Lesotho | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 6 |
| 6 | Zimbabwe | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 4 |
South Africa leads this group with 13 points. The Bafana Bafana have been solid in their quest to qualify top.
Benin (8 points) and Rwanda (8 points) trail behind with hopes of ensuring they snatched any qualification spot.
While Nigeria’s campaign has been less convincing, leaving them with 7 points as they attempt to close the gap.
GROUP D
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Verde | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 13 |
| 2 | Cameroon | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 12 |
| 3 | Libya | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 8 |
| 4 | Angola | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| 5 | Mauritius | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 5 |
| 6 | Eswatini | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | -5 | 2 |
In this group, Cape Verde holds the advantage with 13 points, followed by Cameroon and Libya who are very close.
The remaining teams which include Angola, Mauritius, and Eswatini, are battling to climb up the table.
GROUP E
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morocco | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 15 |
| 2 | Niger | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 |
| 3 | Tanzania | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 6 |
| 4 | Zambia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 3 |
| 5 | Congo | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 13 | -11 | 0 |
| 6 | Eritrea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Morocco is in imperious form, winning all five matches to secure 15 points, while Niger and Tanzania each have 6 points.
This group’s table is currently dominated by the Atlas Lions’ consistency which they remain the best side.
GROUP F
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Côte d’Ivoire | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | +14 | 16 |
| 2 | Gabon | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 15 |
| 3 | Burundi | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 10 |
| 4 | Kenya | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 6 |
| 5 | Gambia | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 4 |
| 6 | Seychelles | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 30 | -28 | 0 |
Ivory Coast leads with a remarkable 16 points from six matches which for many is a massive shock to see happen.
Gabon is close behind with 15 points, and the remaining teams (including Burundi, Kenya, Gambia, and Seychelles) are fighting to improve their positions.
GROUP G
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algeria | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 6 | +10 | 15 |
| 2 | Mozambique | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 12 |
| 3 | Botswana | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 9 |
| 4 | Uganda | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 9 |
| 5 | Guinea | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 7 |
| 6 | Somalia | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 11 | -8 | 1 |
Algeria tops the group with 15 points and a strong goal difference, closely followed by Mozambique (also on 12 points).
Guinea, Botswana, and Uganda, with points in the mid-range, continue to jockey for position with more games left to be played.
GROUP H
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tunisia | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 16 |
| 2 | Namibia | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 12 |
| 3 | Liberia | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 10 |
| 4 | Equatorial Guinea | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 7 |
| 5 | Malawi | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 6 |
| 6 | São Tomé e Principe | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 14 | -12 | 0 |
Tunisia sits at the summit with 16 points, with Namibia not far off at 12 as they continue to push further.
Liberia and Malawi round out the top half of the table, while Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé trail behind.
GROUP I
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghana | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 5 | +10 | 15 |
| 2 | Comoros | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 12 |
| 3 | Madagascar | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 10 |
| 4 | Mali | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 9 |
| 5 | Central African Republic | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 13 | -5 | 5 |
| 6 | Chad | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 15 | -14 | 0 |
Ghana leads this group with 15 points, with Comoros (12 points) and Madagascar (10 points) following.
Mali and the other lower-ranked sides add extra layers to an already competitive group.
BEST LOSERS GROUP
In CAF qualification, the nine group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, while the four best runners-up advance to the playoff round for a further chance at World Cup qualification.
The table below ranks the nine runners-up based on points, goal difference, and goals scored after six games played.
| Rank | Grp | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | Gabon | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 15 | Advance |
| 2 | D | Cameroon | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 12 | Advance |
| 3 | B | Senegal | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 12 | Advance |
| 4 | H | Namibia | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 12 | Advance |
| 5 | I | Comoros | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 12 | – |
| 6 | G | Mozambique | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 12 | – |
| 7 | A | Burkina Faso | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 11 | – |
| 8 | C | Rwanda | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | – |
| 9 | E | Niger | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 | – |
Upcoming Fixtures
Group A
• Egypt vs. Ethiopia
• Guinea‑Bissau vs. Sierra Leone
• Djibouti vs. Burkina Faso
Group B
• Senegal vs. Sudan
• South Sudan vs. DR Congo
• Togo vs. Mauritania
Group C
• Benin vs. Zimbabwe
• Lesotho vs. South Africa
• Rwanda vs. Nigeria
Group D
• Angola vs. Libya
• Cameroon vs. Eswatini
• Mauritius vs. Cape Verde
Group E
• Morocco vs. Niger
Group F
• Côte d’Ivoire vs. Burundi
• Kenya vs. Gambia
• Seychelles vs. Gabon
Group G
• Algeria vs. Botswana
• Uganda vs. Mozambique
• Somalia vs. Guinea
Group H
• Tunisia vs. Liberia
• Namibia vs. Malawi
• São Tomé and Príncipe vs. Equatorial Guinea
Group I
• Chad vs. Ghana
• Madagascar vs. Central African Republic
• Mali vs. Comoros
Leading Goal Scorers
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | 6 |
| 2 | Jordan Ayew | Ghana | 5 |
| 3 | Mohamed Amoura | Algeria | 5 |
| 4 | Lassina Traoré | Burkina Faso | 5 |
| 5 | Trezeguet | Egypt | 5 |
| 6 | Denis Bouanga | Gabon | 5 |
| 7 | Kamory Doumbia | Mali | 5 |
