Crunch World Cup qualifiers take centre stage in Africa

Africa’s 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifying tournament will feature some crunch clashes when matchday 6 is played out across Sunday 23, Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 March.

One of the most eagerly-anticipated ties comes from group G, as co-leaders Algeria and Mozambique meet in Tizi Ouzou late on Tuesday evening. Both the Mambas and the Fennec Foxes claimed 3-1 wins late last week – over Uganda (home) and Botswana (away) respectively – to put themselves clear of the chasing pack and in a two-horse race for the one guaranteed qualifying spot from the group.

“Playing in the World Cup is a dream for the players, and as a coach, I would love to be there,” said Mozambique coach Chiquinho Conde.

“Today, the number of teams qualifying for the World Cup has increased, and we have a dream. We will fight to achieve our goals with humility and respect for our opponents, regardless of their calibre.”

The other games in group G on Tuesday see Botswana host Somalia in Francistown, and Guinea head to Kampala for a clash with hosts Uganda.

Another top-of-the-table clash sees Benin face group C leaders South Africa in neutral Abidjan earlier on Tuesday. Bafana Bafana are looking to claim a key victory in their quest to return to the World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010, but the Cheetahs have a canny coach in Gernot Rohr and could prove a tough puzzle to solve for Hugo Broos and his charges.

South Africa's Bafana Bafana beat Lesotho 2-0 to move to the top of Group C in the Fifa World Cup African Qualifiers. pic.twitter.com/vOFiqaL3j3
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Any slip up from South Africa could open the door for Nigeria to come back in contention in group C, as the Super Eagles host Zimbabwe in Uyo, while Rwanda and Lesotho will battle in Kigali.

Another team to watch is Cape Verde, who lead group D ahead of Cameroon and will look to keep themselves atop the log when they face Angola in Luanda, while the Indomitable Lions will host Libya in Yaounde. The group also has action on Sunday, with Eswatini and Mauritius meeting in neutral Mbombela.

In group F, Benni McCarthy’s Kenya – fresh from a thrilling 3-3 draw with the Gambia in their new coach’s first match in charge – will look to boost their hopes with a win at home to Gabon on Sunday. Monday sees Ivory Coast host the Scorpions in Abidjan, and Tuesday features Burundi and Seychelles clashing in neutral Morocco.

Africa’s World Cup Qualifiers:
Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt and Ghana march on in World Cup qualification bid.

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Ghana appear to be putting their Africa Cup of Nations qualification failure behind them, having thrashed Chad 5-0 this past weekend to go top of a hotly-contested group I in which the top four are covered by four points.

The Black Stars will be in action on Monday, facing Madagascar away shortly after Central African Republic’s clash against Mali, while Tuesday will see Comoros looking to get back on track with a home win over Chad – with all three of the Group I games in neutral Morocco.

“It's always easier when you’re on top. We want to stay there. We will try to do everything to beat Madagascar on Monday to keep the top spot,” said Ghana coach Otto Addo.

WITHIN TOUCHING DISTANCE

In group A, Egypt can put themselves within touching distance of qualification if they defeat Sierra Leone in Cairo on Tuesday, as they will be in the lead regardless of the results in Monday’s other matches from the group, which see Guinea-Bissau host Burkina Faso, and Ethiopia tackle Djibouti in Morocco.

This round of World Cup qualifiers will close out late on Tuesday night with a group E clash in Oujda in which a dominant Morocco will host Tanzania at the Honour Stadium.

The Atlas Lions claimed a last-gasp win over Niger on Friday to maintain their 100 per cent record, and a win over the Taifa Stars would technically secure a place at the next World Cup – though it is dependent on what decision Caf takes in regards to Congo’s continued involvement (they were suspended last month due to government interference in their football association).

CAF World Cup Qualifying, Matchday 6 fixtures

Times CAT

Sunday 23 March

15:00: Eswatini v Mauritius

15:00: Kenya v Gabon

Monday 24 March

15:00: Namibia v Equatorial Guinea

18:00: Guinea-Bissau v Burkina Faso

18:00: Liberia v Sao Tome & Principe

18:00: Central Africa Republic v Mali

21:00: Ivory Coast v Gambia

21:00: Madagascar v Ghana