Africa’s national sides were back in action this week for the first international break of the 2025-26 season, with all eyes on the prize of qualification for next year’s World Cup amidst some blockbuster fixtures.
Here are the big talking points following gameweek seven of Africa’s World Cup qualifying campaign… and a look ahead to the major storylines to follow as competition resumes across the continent this week.
Unbeaten Morocco book their ticket
Morocco officially became the first and only (so far) African team to qualify for the World Cup during gameweek six, and the Atlas Lions certainly progressed in some style, trouncing poor Niger 5-0 to book their place among the elite.
Morocco’s qualification is significant for several reasons.
Firstly, they’re the only team — outside of Oceania and North America — to retain a 100-percent record during qualification, testament to their unswerving consistency during this campaign, while they’re also the joint-top scorers across African qualification.
Their 19-goal haul is equal to Algeria and Burkina Faso, although Morocco have done so in one fewer match, averaging over three goals per game so far.
Progression means that Morocco have now qualified for three consecutive World Cups for the first time in their history, and they must now set their sights on emulating their remarkable run to the semifinal in Qatar three years ago, when they became the first African side to reach the Final Four.
With Morocco also set to host the Africa Cup of Nations later this year, there’s a genuine sense that we’re entering into a monumental 12-month cycle for the Atlas Lions, with Walid Regragui’s squad surely recognising the history-making potential of these upcoming tournaments.
The head coach, surely, will be delighted to see Ismael Saibari and Hamza Igamane contributing there of the Lions’ five goals against Niger, with the pair among the new faces integrated into the squad since the World Cup in 2022.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka finally arrives
It’s been a long time coming, but Wan-Bissaka finally made his bow for the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday as they saw off South Sudan 4-1 to boost their hopes of reaching a first World Cup since 1974.
The rightback, who was born in the London suburb of Croydon, represented both the DRC and England at youth level before outlining his intention of featuring for the Three Lions at senior level.
However, during the intervening years, despite representing England at the U-21 Championships in 2019, a maiden senior cap for England never materialised, with the former Manchester United man facing stiff competition from the likes of Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James among others.
The Leopards may be sloppy seconds, but the new West Ham United signing decided it was time, and – with World Cup qualification looking like a decent prospect for the Leopards – has committed himself to the cause.
Another Premier League star who moved clubs within the division this summer – £55 million Newcastle United new boy Yoane Wissa – added the Central Africans’ fourth against South Sudan, following Cédric Bakambu‘s double and a third from Nathanaël Mbuku.
It’s a win that keeps the Congolese in top spot in Group B ahead of their heavyweight clash with second-placed Senegal in Kinshasa on Tuesday.
Qualification cannot be decided between the pair this week, with only one point separating them in the group, but victory in front of their own fans would take the Leopards to the brink of ending their half-century wait for a return to the World Cup.
Nigeria breathe life into World Cup hopes…
… but it could all come crashing down on Tuesday.
World Cup Group C looks set to reach a nerve-shredding conclusion, with four teams still potentially in contention for top spot, and a major cloud hanging over the outcome of the pool.
On paper, South Africa are in the driving seat, with 16 points from their seven matches to date, but that could all change when Bafana Bafana host Nigeria — themselves 1-0 victors over Rwanda last week — in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.
New Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare was the hero for the Super Eagles as they narrowly dispatched the Amavubi, dodging a potential disaster that would have further derailed their faint qualification hopes.
Victory for the Super Eagles (admittedly rare on South African soil) would reduce the gap between the two teams to three points, and that advantage could evaporate altogether depending on the result of a FIFA ruling pending against Bafana Bafana.
The decision to play suspended Teboho Mokoena in a routine 2-0 victory over Lesotho in March could yet prove costly for the southern Africans, as — if, as expected — FIFA overturn the result and award the minnows a 3-0 victory, it could have a significant impact on the outcome of the group.
Victory over Nigeria at home would at least give Hugo Broos’s men breathing room — regardless of the outcome of the FIFA ruling — although Benin (currently 11 points) may quietly fancy their chances of muscling their way into top spot.
Even if FIFA rule against South Africa, defeat for Nigeria in Bloemfontein would leave them six points behind Bafana with two to play, and staring at a second consecutive World Cup absence for the first time since they first qualified in 1994.
Tunisia, Egypt, Ivory Coast on the brink
Three teams are hot on the heels of Morocco in securing their places for the World Cup, and could take a major step towards the tournament if they pick up maximum points during gameweek eight.
For starters, in Group A, Mohamed Salah and Egypt are guaranteed at least second place in the pool with three games still to play.
The Pharaohs have dropped only two points so far — when they drew away in Guinea-Bissau in June last year — and will guarantee their place in the USA-Canada–Mexico if they avoid defeat against second-placed Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou on Tuesday.
Victory would take Egypt eight points clear of their nearest rivals ahead of the October international window, although a Burkina Faso victory would cut the gap to just two points with two games still to play.
Things aren’t quite as cut and dry for African champions Ivory Coast in Group F, with the Elephants currently leading Gabon by one point ahead of the showdown between the pair in Franceville on September 9.
Victory for the West Africans would all but take then to the World Cup considering they must still face no-hopers Seychelles in October, but a win for Gabon would give them pole position — and the initiative in the group — with two to play.
It’s worth noting that Emerse Fae’s Elephants are one of two teams, along with Tunisia, not to have conceded during qualifying so far.
Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles are the third side guaranteed of at least a top two finish in their group, having defeated Liberia 3-0 this week to move seven points clear of Namibia, themselves defeated 2-1 at home by Malawi.
The North Africans will qualify if they win away in Equatorial Guinea on Monday, while a draw could be enough if Namibia fail to beat Sao Tome e Principe at home.
Cape Verde vs Cameroon: Expect fireworks
Of the nine teams currently in the automatic qualification positions and set to advance to the World Cup as group winners, only one, Cape Verde, have never before reached the promised land.
The tiny island archipelago only qualified for their first ever Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, and have only rarely teased reaching the World Cup in qualification campaigns past.
This year, however, their dream could be realised, with the Sharks currently atop Group D with 16 points from their seven matches to date, including a 2-0 victory in Mauritius on Thursday.
They remain one point clear of their nearest rivals Cameroon, themselves 3-0 winners over Eswatini in Yaounde, ahead of the two sides’ meeting in Praia on Tuesday in a match that has the potential to be the standout fixture of the round.
Victory for Cape Verde, and a four-point gap would open up ahead of October’s fixtures where, considering the islanders have to play Eswatini at home, they would be a strong bet to qualify for a maiden World Cup.
It would be a remarkable achievement for a team ranked 73rd in the world, and for a country whose population of less than 600,000 would make them the second smallest nation ever to qualify for the tournament, behind only Iceland in 2018.
Cameroon, with their own proud World Cup record to uphold, are unlikely to go down without a fight, although expect recrimination and accusations aplenty in the troubled marriage between head coach Marc Brys and FA President Samuel Eto’o should things go awry.