The Confederation of African Football (CAF) qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have reached a crucial stage, with the fifth round of matches completed.
The current standings show a mix of expected leaders and surprising contenders.
In Group A, Egypt leads the pack with 13 points, followed closely by Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone, who are tied with 8 points each.
Guinea Bissau and Ethiopia trail behind with 6 and 3 points, respectively.
Group B is led by Sudan and DR Congo, who are tied with 10 points each.
Senegal follows with 8 points, while Togo, South Sudan, and Mauritania lag behind with 3, 2, and 1 point, respectively.
South Africa tops Group C with 10 points, followed by Benin with 8 points. Rwanda, Nigeria, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe complete the group with 7, 6, 5, and 3 points, respectively.
Cape Verde leads Group D with 10 points, closely followed by Cameroon with 9 points. Libya, Angola, Mauritius, and Eswatini round out the group with 8, 7, 4, and 1 point, respectively.
Morocco dominates Group E with 12 points, while Niger and Tanzania are tied with 6 points each. Zambia, Congo Brazzaville, and Eritrea trail behind with 3, 0, and 0 points, respectively.
Ivory Coast leads Group F with 13 points, followed by Gabon with 12 points. Burundi, Kenya, Gambia, and Seychelles complete the group with 7, 6, 4, and 0 points, respectively.
Algeria and Mozambique are tied for the lead in Group G with 12 points each. Guinea, Botswana, Uganda, and Somalia follow with 7, 6, 6, and 1 point, respectively.
Tunisia tops Group H with 13 points, followed by Namibia with 11 points. Liberia, Malawi, Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tome and Principe round out the group with 7, 6, 6, and 0 points, respectively.
Ghana leads Group I with 12 points, followed by Madagascar with 10 points. Comoros, Mali, Central African Republic, and Chad complete the group with 9, 8, 4, and 0 points, respectively.
The top team from each group will automatically qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The best four second-placed teams will compete in a playoff, with the winner joining the nine qualified teams to represent Africa at the Mundial.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
