African football super icons and legends Mohamed Salah, Thomas Partey, Pacy Tau and Achraf Hakimi appear set to dazzle at the 2026 World Cup as Egypt, Ghana, South Africa and Morocco have secured commanding leads in their qualifying groups.
However, current CAF Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman, and immediate past African Footballer of the Year, Nigerian Victor Osimhen, are likely to play no part in the enlarged 48-nation global football spectacle.
Led by Paris Saint-Germain full-back Hakimi, Morocco that reached the semi-finals in Qatar have a dominant nine-point Group E advantage over Niger, the biggest lead among the nine groups.
Liverpool star and forward, Mohamed Salah, has scored six goals in six qualifiers, helping Egypt to top Group A by five points from Burkina Faso.
With four rounds of matches still to come, in September and October, only monumental collapses can prevent Egypt and Morocco for being among the guaranteed nine African teams for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The nine group winners are assured of places, and the winners of a mini tournament involving the four best-ranked runners-up will seek a finals place via inter-continental play-offs.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are languishing in the fourth spot in Group C having won only one of six matches with three different coaches.
GROUP A
Salah and Mahmoud Trezeguet have contributed 11 of 14 goals as Egypt look set to qualify for a third time. They were invited to the 1934 World Cup, then won places at the 1990 and 2018 tournaments.
Egypt have been less successful in qualifiers for the global tournament than the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which they have won a record seven times.
MATCH DAY 6 RESULTS
Egypt 1-0 Sierra Leone
Ethiopia 6-1 Djibouti
G. Bissau 1-2 Burkina Faso
STANDING AFTER DAY 6
Egypt – 16 pts – 12 goals
Burkina Faso – 11 pts – 6 goals
Sierra Leone – 8 pts – 0 goal
Ethiopia – 6 pts – 0 goal
Guinea Bissau – 6 pts – -2 goals
Djibouti – 1 pt – -16 goals
GROUP B
The pacesetters the Democratic Republic of Congo, second-placed Senegal and Sudan are engaged in a three-way fight for top spot with just one point separating them.
The Congolese will host their two rivals. Meanwhile, it could disadvantage Sudan, representing a country ravaged by civil war, that three of their four fixtures are away.
MATCH DAY 6 RESULTS
Senegal 2-0 Togo
Sudan 1-1 South Sudan
Mauritania 0-2 DR Congo
STANDING AFTER DAY 6
DR Congo – 13 pts – 5 goals
Senegal – 12 pts – 7 goals
Sudan – 12 pts – 6 goals
Togo – 4 pts – -3 goals
South Sudan – 3 pts – -8 goals
Mauritania – 2 pts – -7 goals
GROUP C
South Africa could see a five-point lead shrink to just one point if they are punished by FIFA for fielding ineligible Teboho Mokoena in a Matchday 5 win over the Crocodiles of Lesotho.
While South Africa face the possibility of the 2-0 victory being changed to a 3-0 loss, they believe Lesotho did not meet the 24-hour post-match deadline for lodging an official protest.
MATCH DAY 6 RESULTS
Nigeria 1-1 Zimbabwe
Rwanda 1-1 Lesotho
Benin Rep 0-2 South Africa
STANDING AFTER DAY 6
South Africa – 13 pts – 5 goals
Rwanda – 8 pts – 0 goals
Benin Rep – 8 pts – -1 goals
Nigeria – 7 pts – 1 goals
Lesotho – 6 pts – -1 goals
Zimbabwe – 4 pts – -4 goals
GROUP D
Cabo Verde are one point ahead of Cameroon, who must visit Praia in September.
If the surprise package known as the Blue Sharks can win in Mauritius, then triumph at home to eight-time World Cup qualifiers, Cameroon, they will make their historic first appearance at the mondial.
MATCH DAY 6 RESULTS
Cameroon 3-1 Libya
Angola 1-2 Cabo Verde
Mauritius 3-3 Eswatini
STANDING AFTER DAY 6
Cabo Verde – 13 pts – 2 goals
Cameroon – 12 pts – 8 goals
Libya – 8 pts – -1 goals
Angola – 7 pts – 0 goals
Mauritius – 5 pts – -4 goals
Eswatini – 2 pts – -5 goals
GROUP E
It is a question of when rather than if Morocco secure qualification, with the representatives of the north African kingdom possessing too much class for rivals Niger, Tanzania and Zambia.
Should the suspension of Congo over government interference change to disqualification, Morocco need one point from two matches. If Congo are reinstated, Morocco need four points from three.
MATCH DAY 6 RESULTS
Morocco 2-0 Tanzania
STANDING AFTER DAY 6
Morocco – 15 pts – 12 goals
Niger – 6 pts – 2 goals
Tanzania – 6 pts – -2 goals
Zambia – 3 pts – -1 goal
Congo – 0 pts – -11 goals
Eritrea – 0 pt – 0 goal
GROUP F
Just one point separates African champions, Côte d’Ivoire and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang-inspired Panthers of Gabon in the struggle to finish first, with a September showdown to come in Franceville.
Whichever country finishes second is likely to get another chance to qualify by being among the four best-ranked runners-up.
MATCH DAY 6 RESULTS
Kenya 1-2 Gabon
Burundi 5-0 Seychelles
Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 Gambia
STANDING AFTER DAY 6
Côte d’Ivoire – 16 pts – 14 goals
Gabon – 15 pts – 6 goals
Burundi – 10 pts – 6 goals
Kenya – 6 pts – 3 goals
Gambia – 4 pts – -1 goal
Seychelles – 0 pt – -28 goals
GROUP G
Algeria have been imperial under Bosnian coach Vladimir Petkovic, besides a one blip, a home loss to Guinea, the Desert Foxes are certain to be at the World Cup finals next year.
Mozambique are the best of the rest so far and contenders for one of four play-offs places.
MATCH DAY 6 RESULTS
Algeria 5-1 Malawi
Uganda 1-0 Guinea
Botswana 2-0 Somalia
STANDING AFTER DAY 6
Algeria – 15 pts – 10 goals
Mozambique – 12 pts – -1 goals
Botswana – 9 pts – 1 goal
Uganda – 9 pts – -1 goal
Guinea – 7 pts – -1 goal
Somalia – 1 pt – -8 goals
GROUP H
It is hard to imagine Tunisia not staying on top and qualifying for a seventh time, but fourth-placed Equatorial Guinea are the centre of attention.
With FIFA reversing a ban of star forward Emilio Nsue, Equatorial Guinea want the six points forfeited after wins over Namibia and Liberia restored, which would push them to second place on the log.
MATCH DAY 6 RESULTS
Tunisia 2-0 Malawi
Liberia 2-1 Sao Tome
Namibia 1-1 E. Guinea
STANDING AFTER DAY 6
Tunisia – 16 pts – 9 goals
Namibia – 12 pts – 6 goals
Liberia – 10 pts – 3 goals
E. Guinea – 7 pts – -4 goals
Malawi – 6 pts – -2 goals
Sào Tomé – 0 pt – -12 goals
GROUP I
Ghana have recovered from a shock failure to reach the 2025 AFCON by winning five qualifiers and establishing a three-point lead over Comoros.
Top seeds Mali, improved dramatically when Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet took charge, but were surprisingly held by Central African Republic on Match Day 6, leaving them six points off the pace.
MATCH DAY 6 RESULTS
Comoros 1-0 Chad
Madagascar 0-3 Ghana
C.A. Rep 0-0 Mali
STANDING AFTER DAY 6
Ghana – 15 pts – 10 goals
Comoros – 12 pts – 2 goals
Madagascar – 10 pts – 3 goals
Mali – 9 pts – 4 goals
C.A. Rep – 5 pts – -5 goals
Chad – 0 pt – -14 goals
TOP 9 AS AT MATCH DAY 6
- Côte d’Ivoire – 16 pts – 14 goals
- Egypt – 16 pts – 12 goals
- Tunisia – 16 pts – 9 goals
- Morocco – 15 pts – 12 goals
- Algeria – 15 pts – 10 goals
- Ghana – 15 pts – 10 goals
- DR Congo – 13 pts – 5 goals
- South Africa – 13 pts – 5 goals
- Cabo Verde – 13 pts – 2 goals
SECOND 9 AS AT MATCH DAY 6
- Gabon – 15 pts – 6 goals
- Cameroon – 12 pts – 8 goals
- Senegal – 12 pts – 7 goals
- Namibia – 12 pts – 6 goals
- Comoros – 12 pts – 2 goals
- Mozambique – 12 pts – -1 goals
- Burkina Faso – 11 pts – 6 goals
- Rwanda – 8 pts – 0 goals
- Niger Rep – 6 pts – 2 goals
- Sudan – 12 pts – 6 goals
- Burundi – 10 pts – 6 goals
- Liberia – 10 pts – 3 goals
- Madagascar – 10 pts – 3 goals
- Botswana – 9 pts – 1 goal
- Sierra Leone – 8 pts – 0 goal
- Benin Rep – 8 pts – -1 goals
- Libya – 8 pts – -1 goals
- Tanzania – 6 pts – -2 goals
- Mali – 9 pts – 4 goals
- Uganda – 9 pts – -1 goal
- Nigeria – 7 pts – 1 goals
- Angola – 7 pts – 0 goals
