The highly anticipated draw for the African qualifiers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to take place tomorrow in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the draw will be broadcast live on CAF’s digital platforms and CAFONLINE.com, following the 45th CAF Ordinary Assembly, also held in Abidjan.
To ensure a fair and competitive tournament, CAF has divided its member associations into nine groups for the draw.
The winners of each group will secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Excitement is mounting as the participating teams eagerly await their opponents.
Nigeria, one of Africa’s football powerhouses, has been placed in Pot 1 as one of the nine seeds in the qualifying series.
Joining them in Pot 1 are strong contenders such as Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Cameroon, Mali, and the host nation, Cote d’Ivoire. Being in Pot 1 means that the Super Eagles will not face any of these formidable teams in the group stages.
The qualification format for the 2026 World Cup will consist of nine groups, each comprising six teams. The winners of these groups will secure their spots in the tournament. Africa has been granted a minimum of nine and a maximum of ten slots for the World Cup. In addition, the four best runners-up will enter a mini-playoff tournament, with the winner advancing to the Intercontinental playoffs organized by FIFA.
Other notable teams in the subsequent pots include Burkina Faso, Ghana, South Africa, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Guinea, Zambia, Gabon, Uganda, Benin, Kenya, Mauritania, Congo, Madagascar, Guinea Bissau, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Malawi, Libya, Niger, Comoros, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Botswana, Liberia, Lesotho, South Sudan, Mauritius, Chad, Sao Tome, Djibouti, Seychelles, Eritrea, and Somalia.
With such an expansive lineup, the African qualifiers promise intense competition and thrilling matches. Football enthusiasts across the continent and beyond will be eagerly awaiting the draw to see how the groups shape up and which teams will secure their places in the prestigious World Cup.
