The race for Africa’s spots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is heating up, with shocking results, dominant performances, and standout goal-scorers making headlines. After six matchdays, here are the key takeaways from the qualifiers so far:
Salah Leads the Charge
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is proving unstoppable, topping the goal-scoring charts with six strikes for Egypt. The 32-year-old started strong, netting four times in a 6-0 demolition of Djibouti and adding goals in away fixtures against Guinea-Bissau and Ethiopia.
Hot on his heels is Algeria’s Mohamed Amoura, who netted a stunning hat-trick in a 5-1 rout of Mozambique, tying five others at five goals.
Shocks and Surprises
Group C is the epicenter of drama, with unpredictable results shaking the standings. Lesotho stunned Nigeria with a draw, Rwanda outplayed South Africa on a drenched pitch, and Benin shocked Nigeria with a comeback win.
This week, Zimbabwe added to Nigeria’s woes when Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Tawanda Chirewa scored a last-minute equalizer in a 1-1 draw in Uyo.
The Most Common Scorelines
Tightly contested matches have been the theme of the qualifiers, with 1-0 results leading the way in 33 out of 151 games. Close behind are 2-1 and 2-0 scorelines, each occurring 21 times. Draws remain common, with 19 games ending 1-1 and 15 finishing goalless.
Blowouts have been rare, with only five matches featuring a scoreline of 5-0 or higher. The biggest thrashing? African champions Ivory Coast obliterating Seychelles 9-0.
Top Seeds Holding Strong
As expected, heavyweights Egypt, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, and Tunisia are leading their groups with four matchdays to go.
However, some surprises have emerged—Cameroon and Senegal are in second place, trailing Cape Verde and DR Congo by just one point. Meanwhile, underwhelming performances from Nigeria and Mali have left them fourth in their respective groups, six points behind leaders South Africa and Ghana.
Morocco’s Perfect Run
The Atlas Lions, Africa’s 2022 World Cup semi-finalists, are the only team with a 100% record, winning all five of their games so far.
With dominant victories, including a 6-0 demolition of Congo Brazzaville and a solid 2-0 win over Tanzania, Morocco remains the continent’s most formidable force in the qualifiers.
With two more matchdays coming up in September and another two in October, the road to North America 2026 promises even more twists, upsets, and historic moments. Stay tuned!
