MOROCCO has become the first African nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after securing a decisive 5-0 victory against Niger on Friday.
The win ensures Morocco tops their qualifying group with an impeccable record of six consecutive victories. Goals from Ismael Saibari, Ayoub El Kaabi, Hamza Igamane, and Azzedine Ounahi sealed their historic qualification in Rabat.
Morocco remains the only team across all nine African qualifying groups to maintain a 100% winning record throughout the campaign. Tanzania was the only team that could potentially challenge Morocco in Group E but their 1-1 draw against Congo left them with 10 points from six games, while Morocco boasts 18 points. The Moroccan team made history as the first African country to reach a World Cup semi-final during the 2022 tournament in Qatar and has maintained its position as Africa’s top-ranked team since that achievement.
Meanwhile, Egypt strengthened their position in Group A with a 2-0 home victory over Ethiopia in Cairo, with Mohamed Salah converting a penalty for his seventh goal of the qualifiers. African champions Ivory Coast returned to the top of Group F with a 1-0 victory over Burundi in Abidjan, moving one point ahead of Gabon whom they face next on Tuesday. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal remain separated by just one point in Group B ahead of their crucial encounter in Kinshasa on Tuesday.
South Africa maintains a five-point lead over Benin in Group C after both teams secured victories on Friday, while Nigeria continues to pursue qualification hopes with crucial matches against Rwanda and South Africa. Algeria’s qualification chances improved significantly as Mozambique suffered a 4-0 defeat in Uganda, and Tunisia can secure their spot with a victory against Equatorial Guinea on Monday.
The winners of each African qualifying group will automatically advance to the 2026 World Cup in North America, with the four best runners-up progressing to a playoff in November for potential additional qualification spots. – Reuters