The CAF group phase of qualifiers for the 2026 Men’s World Cup concluded on TUE 14 OCT 2025. Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia have qualified. Cameroon, Congo DR, Gabon, and Nigeria will compete in the CAF playoffs for a trip to the interconfederation playoffs.

A seven match unbeaten run sent Cabo Verde to the Men’s World Cup for the first time in their history, as they finished four points ahead of Cameroon in Group D. In a tight Group C, South Africa took first place by a single point, whilst Nigeria defeated Benin on the last day to claim second on goal difference and end the Cheetahs’ hopes of a maiden qualification.

The most dominant sides in the group phase were Morocco and Tunisia. The Atlas Lions won all eight of their matches in Group E, as part of a record sixteen match win streak. The Carthage Eagles’ nearly flawless performance in Group H, with 28 points from ten matches and zero goals conceded, secured their seventh qualification.

As the top four second placed teams, excluding results against sixth placed teams, Cameroon, Congo DR, Gabon, and Nigeria will meet in the CAF playoffs in Morocco in NOV 2025. The two semifinal matches will see the highest of the four in the FIFA rankings of THU 23 OCT 2025 against the lowest, and the second against the third. The winners of those two matches will face off in the final match. The winner will have one last chance to qualify in the interconfederation playoffs.

• Qualified: Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
• Advance to CAF playoffs: Cameroon, Congo DR, Gabon, Nigeria
• Eliminated: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Rep, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé-Príncipe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe