World Cup
Great expectations this week as Africa’s World Cup 2026 Qualifiers enter Match Day 6
Following the successful conclusion of Match Day 5 of the qualifiers, CAFOnline takes a look at some exciting fixtures lined up for Match Day 6 of the qualifiers set to take place between 23 – 26 March 2025.
Group A
● Egypt – Sierra Leone: Egypt, the leader of the group with 13 points, recently secured a 2-0 victory against Ethiopia, strengthening their position at the top. Sierra Leone, on the other hand, is looking to improve its standing.
● Guinea-Bissau – Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso, second with 8 points, must win to stay in the race for direct qualification. Guinea-Bissau, although ranked lower, could play the role of a spoiler. Past encounters show a slight advantage for Burkina Faso, but every match remains open.
● Ethiopia – Djibouti: Both teams, at the bottom of the standings, are not going down without a fight. Ethiopia, despite its recent loss to Egypt, is the favourite against Djibouti, which has often struggled in these qualifiers.
Group B
● Sudan vs. South Sudan: After holding Senegal to a 0-0 draw, Sudan remains at the top of Group B with 11 points. The Nile Crocodiles approach their next match against their neighbours with the ambition to assert their superiority and move closer to a historic World Cup qualification. Buoyed by positive momentum, Sudan faces a South Sudanese team still searching for its first win in these qualifiers.
● Senegal vs. Togo: As the runner-up behind Sudan, Senegal must win to secure its position. Historically, Senegal has often dominated Togo, which could influence the morale of both teams.
● Mauritania vs. DR Congo: A crucial match for both teams aiming to move up the table. DR Congo has recently shown strong performances, but Mauritania, playing at home, could surprise.
Group C
● Nigeria vs. Zimbabwe: The Super Eagles begin their comeback operation. With only 6 points, Nigeria lags in the qualification race, but their first win against Rwanda has revived confidence in the former African champions, led by Eric Chelle. Zimbabwe hopes to secure its first win in these qualifiers.
● Benin vs. South Africa: South Africa, the group leader with 10 points, aims to maintain its lead over its closest rival, Benin, with 8 points. The Cheetahs will play at home, looking to take advantage of this.
● Rwanda vs. Lesotho: Both teams, in search of points, often play close matches. Rwanda recently suffered a 2-0 loss at home to Nigeria, while Lesotho aims to capitalize on this opportunity.
Group D
● Eswatini vs. Mauritius: A match between two teams at the bottom of the standings. Eswatini has a slight advantage over Mauritius, but both will seek victory for pride.
● Angola vs. Cape Verde: Cape Verde, leading the group with 10 points, looks to consolidate its position. Angola, with the home advantage, could cause problems.
● Cameroon vs. Libya: After being held to a 0-0 draw by Eswatini, Cameroon must win to reassure itself. But Libya who are under Aliou Cissé cannot be ruled out just yet.
Group E
● Burundi vs. Seychelles: Burundi aims to capitalize on this match to improve its position. Seychelles, often struggling, will attempt to cause an upset.
● Morocco vs. Tanzania: Morocco, the group leader with an almost perfect record, aims to continue its momentum. Tanzania, although competitive, will need to outperform past performances to challenge the Atlas Lions.
Group F
● Kenya vs. Gabon: A crucial match for both teams aiming to move up the table. Gabon, one point behind leaders Côte d’Ivoire, has shown strong recent performances, but Kenya, playing at home, could benefit from the support of its fans.
● Côte d’Ivoire vs. Gambia: Côte d’Ivoire, leading with a perfect record, seeks to continue its streak. Gambia, though competitive, will need a great performance to destabilize the African champions.
Group G
● Botswana vs. Somalia: After losing 3-1 to Algeria, Botswana will look to bounce back. Somalia, on the other hand, held Guinea to a 0-0 draw, demonstrating its defensive solidity and potential to surprise in this qualification campaign.
● Algeria vs. Mozambique: Algeria, the group leader, demonstrated its superiority with a convincing 3-1 victory over Somalia in the first match day of the qualifiers. Mozambique, despite a loss to Algeria in the second matchday, will attempt to cause an upset.
● Uganda vs. Guinea: Uganda recently suffered a 3-1 defeat to Mozambique, while Guinea disappointed with a 0-0 draw against Somalia. Past encounters between these two teams have often been balanced, suggesting an intense match ahead.
Group H
● Liberia vs. São Tomé and Príncipe: After strong resistance against Tunisia, Liberia eventually lost 1-0. This leaves them in a delicate position ahead of their match against São Tomé and Príncipe, who are still seeking their first points in these qualifiers.
● Tunisia vs. Malawi: Tunisia started the qualifiers strongly with a 1-0 win over São Tomé and Príncipe. Malawi, after a 1-0 victory over Liberia, will look to continue from the confidence boosting result.
● Namibia vs. Equatorial Guinea: Namibia lost 1-0 to Equatorial Guinea on the first match day. This return match offers Namibia a chance for revenge, but Equatorial Guinea will look to repeat its victorious performance.
Group I
● Central African Republic vs. Mali: Mali began the qualifiers with a 3-1 victory over Chad, while the Central African Republic suffered a 4-2 loss to Comoros. Past encounters between these two teams are rare, making the outcome of this match hard to predict.
● Madagascar vs. Ghana: Ghana won 1-0 against Madagascar on the first match day. Madagascar will look to reverse the trend in this return match, but Ghana, with its positive historical record, is the favourite.
● Comoros vs. Chad: Comoros started the qualifiers with a 4-2 victory over the Central African Republic, while Chad lost 3-1 to Mali. Comoros, on the rise in recent years, could capitalize on its momentum to claim the win.
-CAF
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Match Day 6 of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers officially get underway on Sunday, 23 March following an exciting close to MD 5 on Saturday.
CAFOnline highlights five key encounters to look out for in MD 6.
GROUP I: Madagascar vs. Ghana
Ghana, fresh off a 5-0 victory over Chad in the previous round, leads Group I with 12 points and will travel to face Madagascar, who sit in second place with 10 points.
The winner of this match will take the lead and edge closer to qualifying for the global showpiece.
GROUP C: Benin vs. South Africa
Group C of the qualifiers will witness an exciting duel between the leaders, South Africa, and second-placed Benin.
Benin, the host, will aim for three points to top the group while the Southern African nation aims to widen their gap at the top which currently sits at two points.
GROUP D: Cameroon vs. Libya
Cameroon will aim to close the gap Group D leaders, Cape Verde as they find themselves second behind them with just a point separating them, when they face Libya, who is directly behind in third place with 8 points.
A win will be vital for the Indomitable Lions if they are to stay on track towards World Cup qualification, despite the tough task ahead against a strong and resilient Libyan team.
GROUP G: Algeria vs. Mozambique
Algeria shares the top spot in Group G with Mozambique, both having 12 points, with Algeria having the advantage.
The three points in this match are highly significant for both teams, as the winner will take sole possession of the top spot and move closer to qualification.
GROUP A: Egypt vs. Sierra Leone
Egypt, who lead Group A with 13 points, will face Sierra Leone, who are in second place, tied with Burkina Faso on 8 points.
This match is crucial for Egypt’s World Cup journey, as their path to qualification could hinge on the outcome of this match.
Sierra Leone, on the other hand, will look to end Egypt’s winning streak in the qualifiers and reduce the gap by two points if they can secure victory in Egypt.
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The road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 is gradually taking shape, with African nations contesting the nine guaranteed places for Africa at the global showpiece, with a possible tenth on the line.
With the stakes at an all-time high, the qualifiers have been nothing short of goals with some matches providing high-scoring outcomes, while others being highly tactical and closely contested.
CAFOnline takes a look at the top five scorers of the qualifiers following the conclusion of Match Day 5 on Saturday, 22 March.
Mohamed Salah (Egypt) – 6
The red-hot Mohamed Salah is replicating his club form in the national team with six goals of the 13 scored by the Pharaohs coming from the forward.
Egypt led Group A with 13 points from four wins and a draw, with Salah leading the overall scoring charts of the qualifiers after Match Day 5.
The Liverpool forward scored four times in their opening round of the qualifiers where they secured a commanding 6-0 win over Djibouti. He then contributed with a much-needed equaliser against Guinea-Bissau on Match Day 4, before scoring against Ethiopia in a 2-0 win on Friday to register six goals in five matches for Egypt.
Mahmoud Trézéguet (Egypt) – 5
Second on the goalscoring charts is Mahmoud Trézéguet, who is just one goal shy of matching teammate Mohamed Salah’s six goals.
Trézéguet has five goals, including a brace in a 2-0 win over Sierra Leonne on Match Day 2, a solitary goal in their 6-0 win over Djibouti, and another brace against Burkina Faso on Match Day 5.
Denis Bouanga (Gabon) – 5
Denis Bouanga also sits on five impressive goals for Gabon. The MLS star found his first of the qualifiers in a 2-1 win over Kenya on Match Day 1.
The forward continued with his goal-scoring form on Match Day 2 with a contribution to another 2-1 win which came at the expense of Burundi.
Bouanga returned on Match Day 4 with another goal contribution to a 3-2 win over The Gambia, before getting his fourth and fifth through a brace in a 3-0 win over Seychelles on Match Day 5.
Jordan Ayew (Ghana) – 5
Captain of the Black Stars, Jordan Ayew is leading his nation from the front as the country’s top goalscorer of the qualifiers.
The skipper’s hat-trick in the Black Stars’ 4-3 win over Central Africa Republic, which was preceded by a last-minute strike in a dramatic 2-1 win over Mali has put Ghana in promising position of the qualifiers.
The skipper made it five with a penalty conversion in a 5-0 drubbing of Chad in Match Day 5 of the qualifiers, as the Black Stars continues the chase to a World Cup spot.
Kamory Doumbia (Mali) – 5
Mali’s attacking midfielder, Kamory Doumbia has not only contributed to the Eagles’ build up play but has found the back of the net five times for his nation’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers campaign.
Doumbia first netted in a 3-1 win over Chad on Match Day 1 of the qualifiers to open his account.
The second came for Doumbia in an evenly contested 1-1 draw on Match Day 2 against Central African Republic before getting the third in a 2-1 loss against Ghana on Match Day 3.
Doumbia’s fourth and fifth came on Match Day 5 with a stunning brace that contributed to Mali’s 3-0 win over Comoros.
Other notable scorers of the qualifiers include
Musa Barrow (Gambia) 4
Rayan, Raveloson (Madagascar) 4
Steve Mounie (Benin) 3
Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso) 3
Lassina Traore (Burkina Faso) 3.
-CAF
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Sudan’s remarkable run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers continued on Saturday evening as they held tournament favourites Senegal to a hard-fought 0-0 draw in Benghazi, Libya.
The result keeps Sudan unbeaten and top of Group B with 11 points from five matches—two clear of Senegal and one ahead of DR Congo, who are second in the group.
For the Lions of Teranga, the draw adds further pressure ahead of their clash with Togo on Tuesday.
Despite their superior experience and firepower, Senegal struggled to break down a disciplined and resilient Sudanese side that has become the group’s surprise package.
The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations champions nearly made a perfect start when a mistake from Sudan goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa in the opening minute gifted an opportunity, only for him to recover in time.
The Lions dominated possession throughout, but Sudan looked the more dangerous on the counter.
The best chance of the first half arguably fell to Sudan, as a forward skipped past Edouard Mendy in the 20th minute but fired wide with the goal gaping.
At the other end, Senegal wasted a one-on-one opportunity and missed another close-range chance just before the break.
Sudan came out with renewed confidence in the second half. Just three minutes after the restart, Mendy was called into action again—parrying a long-range effort before smothering the rebound under pressure.
Sudan’s penalty appeals were waved away after their attacker went down in the box following the follow-up.
Senegal’s golden moment came in the 54th minute when Sadio Mané acrobatically connected with a loose ball in the box, only to send his overhead kick over the bar with the Sudanese keeper beaten.
Walieldin Khidir missed a glorious chance to win it for Sudan in the 76th minute, scuffing wide from inside the area. Mané again threatened at the other end four minutes later, but his shot was cleared off the line.
Despite late pressure, neither side could find a winner, and the spoils were shared in a pulsating encounter that showcased Sudan’s tactical discipline and Senegal’s growing frustration.
With this result, Sudan continues to dream of a first-ever World Cup appearance, while Senegal faces an uphill battle to reclaim the group’s top spot. The next round of fixtures on Tuesday could prove decisive.
-CAF
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