African Countries Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

In Summary

• Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Cape Verde, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria, Tunisia, and Ghana have secured direct spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
• Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and DR Congo will clash in November 2025 for Africa’s final World Cup slot.
• The African island nation of Cape Verde, with a population of about 525,000, has qualified for the world’s biggest stage for the first time in its 50-year history
• With up to ten African teams possible, the 2026 tournament marks Africa’s largest-ever participation in FIFA World Cup history.

Deep Dive!!

Lagos, Nigeria, Thursday, October 16th— The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, marks a historic expansion to 48 teams, giving Africa its largest-ever representation.

Nine African teams have earned direct qualifying as of October 14, 2025 after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) qualifications' group stage concluded. Another slot is still available through the November 2025 playoffs. 

In this article, we go through the African countries that have sealed their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the procedure, and the future of African football on the international scene.

The Nine Directly Qualified African Teams

Egypt (Group A)

Having represented Africa three (03) times, Egypt had an unbeaten run through the qualification stages. With 26 points from 8 victories and 2 draws, the Pharaohs led Group A with 20 goals and only two goals conceded. Mohamed Salah scored twice and Mahmoud Hassan "Trezeguet" added one goal in their 3-0 victory over Djibouti on October 8, 2025, which guaranteed their qualification. Salah put on outstanding performances, motivating the team the entire time and scoring several goals in crucial games.

They had to contend with draws against Burkina Faso (0-0) and Guinea-Bissau (1-1), which put their commitment to the test against formidable runners-up. Minor obstacles were added by player suspensions, such as Marwan Attia's, because of yellow cards, but Egypt's defensive tenacity won out.

Senegal (Group B)

With seven victories, three draws, and just three goals conceded, the Teranga Lions finished with 24 points. On October 14, 2025, they crushed Mauritania 4-0, with two goals from Sadio Mané to secure qualification. Additional significant victories were a 3-2 comeback against DR Congo and a 5-0 victory over South Sudan.

Two notable victories were a 3-2 comeback against DR Congo and a 5-0 victory over South Sudan. Challenges came from draws with Sudan (0-0) and DR Congo (1-1).

South Africa (Group C)

On October 14, 2025, Bafana Bafana defeated Rwanda 3-0 to qualify with 18 points, despite a three-point penalty for an ineligible player. Important outcomes included a 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe and a 1-1 tie with Nigeria.

President Cyril Ramaphosa could be seen celebrating with Bafana Bafana after they qualified for the World Cup while on a flight. Watch the video.

Despite forfeiting a 3-0 victory to Lesotho, followed by Teboho Mokoena's suspension, South Africa’s resilience saw them through qualifying. This is their first qualification since 2002.

Cape Verde (Group D)

In a historic event, the Blue Sharks defeated Eswatini 3-0 to earn 23 points and their first-ever qualification to the World’s largest football stage. The African island nation with only about 500,000 people mananged to assemble a team that produced an admirable performance across the board in 1-0 wins, scoring 16 goals and giving up just 8.

Their sole loss was a 4-1 setback to Cameroon, and logistical difficulties are increased by neutral locations.

Fans all over the world were excited by the historical qualification of the blue sharks, as the West African islandic nation looks set to not only export her exponentially improving football but also passionate camera-friendly female supporters.

Morocco (Group E)

The Atlast Lions are reaching the epitome of African modern football. With a 5-0 victory over Niger, the Atlas Lions qualified first after winning all eight games for 24 points secured qualification. Despite being suspended, Achraf Hakimi was, as expected, exceptional.

Morocco will want to replicate their feats in North America after being the first African country to advance to the World Cup semifinals in 2022.

Dynamics were indirectly impacted by group interruptions such as Eritrea's exit and Congo's suspension.

Côte d'Ivoire (Group F)

With a young mixture of foreign based talents playing professional football in Spanish LaLiga and the English premier league, the Elephants defeated Kenya 3-0 to earn 26 points without a loss and qualify. They kept clean sheets in all ten games, demonstrating their unbeatable defence.

There were no significant difficulties identified, and the only losses were draws versus Kenya and Gabon.

Algeria (Group G)

Algeria qualified with a 3-0 victory over Somalia, led by Amoura's two goals and Mahrez, after defeating Guinea 1-2. In total, they scored a whopping 24 goals.

Their biggest obstacle was the defeat to Guinea, although they were unaffected by any suspensions.

Tunisia (Group H)

Tunisia finished with a 3-0 victory over Namibia and 28 points from 9 victories, 1 tie, and 0 goals given up. Their defensive campaign was flawless.

They indirectly profited from group issues like Equatorial Guinea's forfeits; Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane's suspension was insignificant.

Ghana (Group I)

The Black Stars defeated Comoros 1-0 to gain 25 points and qualify, thanks to a goal from Mohammed Kudus. Key victories included defeating Chad 5-0.

Obstacles included Elisha Owusu's suspension and an early 1-0 loss to Comoros, in addition to several games being played at neutral locations.

Play-Off Contenders

This one, as the fans argue, is one of the hardest ways of securing a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup than playing in the competition itself. In the newest FIFA arrangement, Africa has a rare opportunity to send the 10th team from the play-offs.

The four best runners-up are set to compete in the play-offs:

Gabon (25 points from Group F)

DR Congo (22 points from Group B)

Cameroon (19 points from Group D)

Nigeria (17 points from Group C)

In a semifinals matchup, hat-trick hero Victor Osihmen’s Nigeria will face four-goal haul hero Pierre Emere-Aubemayang’s Gabon on November 13, while  Africa’s eight-time participants Cameroon goes up against rejuvenated DR Congo on November 16. This thrilling encounter will ultimately decide who, among these formidable African sides, advances to the intercontinental playoff. 

This stage promises high-stakes action, with teams like Nigeria and Cameroon bringing World Cup experience, while Gabon and DR Congo aim for breakthroughs.