We've almost reached the conclusion of Africa's World Cup qualifying campaign, with only two matchdays left of the continent's group stage and nine qualifiers being confirmed for the tournament in Canada-Mexico-USA next June.
This is ESPN's definitive explainer on everything you need to know for Africa World Cup qualifying; the Africa World Cup qualifying table, standings, rules, schedule and everything in between.
Tunisia have joined Morocco as Africa's two confirmed qualifiers, having seen off Equatorial Guinea with a 94th-minute winner in Malabo to secure top spot in Group H. First place in each of the other seven groups remains 'up for grabs' with two matches still to play, while the four best placed runners-up will also progress to contest the continental playoffs.
When and where is the next World Cup?
FIFA World Cup 26 is set to kick off on June 11 2026, and will run until July 19.
It's the first World Cup to take place across three countries - Canada, Mexico and the United States - with 16 cities hosting matches.
CAF's World Cup qualifying campaign began way back in November 2023, and will conclude in November this year, where one of Africa's representatives will proceed to an Inter-confederation play-off.
The Africa World Cup qualifying group stage programme will conclude on 14 October 2025, by which point, nine of Africa's qualifiers will be known.
How many African teams qualify for the World Cup?
For next year's tournament, Africa will boast a minimum of nine and a maximum of 10 teams, more than the continent has ever previously had representing it at a global showpiece.
For 2026, the competition has expanded from 32 teams previously to 48, with Africa's allocation increasing from five teams in 2022.
Until now, the most African teams who have been present in a single edition of the tournament was six in 2010, when hosts South Africa were added to the five regular qualifiers.
For 2026, nine representatives are guaranteed, and Africa will contribute one of the six teams set to contest the inter-confederation playoffs to decide the two final berths. Those matches will take place in the World Cup host nations.
Africa World Cup qualifying: How does it work?
The 53 African teams competing for places at the World Cup were drawn into nine groups of six, with countries playing each other home and away between November '23 and October '25.
The nine group winners will progress to the tournament itself, with the four best ranked runners-up contesting an African playoff to determine which of the quartet will advance to represent the continent in the inter-confederation playoffs.
For teams tied on points after all ten First Round matches have been played, groups will be sorted on goal difference, then goals scored, with head-to-head results only to be taken into account if teams are unable to be separated.
These African playoffs are set to take place in November this year, with teams set to meet in single-legged semifinals and then a final.
With one more international break still to go, Gabon, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso are the teams currently destined to progress to the Second Round as the four best-ranked runners-up.
CAF World Cup Qualifying Campaign: Standings | Complete Fixtures
Frank Leboeuf reacts to an impressive Spain performance as they demolish Türkiye 6-0 in World Cup qualifying.
Africa World Cup qualifying schedule
The group stage began during November 2023, with teams playing their first two matches over the final international break of the year.
The competition then resumed with another double gameweek in June 2024 -- only four months after the conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast -- before attention turned to the AFCON 2026 qualifying programme during the second half of last year.
The First Round will come to an end in October, with the final double gameweek. The African playoffs will take place in November 2025, and it seems a relatively safe bet to assume that the inter-confederation playoffs will be held in March 2026.
First Round continues:
Gameweeks Nine-Ten: 6-14 October 2025
Second Round African playoff semifinals-final: 10-18
November 2025 Inter-confederation playoffs: TBC
Will we get a first-time qualifier?
With two matches still to play, and only two qualifiers confirmed, there's still a lot to be decided during the October qualifiers.
The expanded representation of 9.5 slots gives encouragement to the continent's 'lesser lights' that they can capitalise on the increased opportunity and either end their wait for qualification or reach a maiden World Cup.
At the moment, it's tiny Cape Verde who are looking the most likely to become Africa's latest first-time qualifiers, as they sit atop Group D after dispatching Cameroon at home during the September internationals.
It's a result that leaves them on 19 points after eight matches, four ahead of Cameroon with two to play, and firmly on course for a first World Cup appearance. They'd become the second smallest nation -- after Iceland -- to reach the competition, and it would cap a remarkable ascent for a country who had never even qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations before 2013.
All of the other current group leaders have previously been present at FIFA's showpiece, although the likes of Gabon, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Namibia, Benin and even Tanzania will still be quietly harbouring dreams of a maiden qualification.
Anything else you need to know?
Togo are the only former qualifiers already to be eliminated definitively from the campaign, while Chad, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Sao Tome e Principe, Somalia, Gambia, Kenya, Seychelles, Congo-Brazzaville, Lesotho, Mauritius, Burundi, Eswatini, Mauritania, South Sudan, Djibouti and Zimbabwe are the other sides out of the running for the World Cup.
Group C has changed dramatically since the previous international break, after South Africa received their punishment from FIFA for fielding the ineligible Teboho Mokoena in their 2-0 victory over Lesotho in March.
A three-point deduction for Bafana Bafana takes them down to second, on 14 points, with two matches to play, behind new group leaders Benin and head coach Gernot Rohr, who now find themselves eyeing an unlikely maiden qualification. Nigeria and Rwanda, both on 11 points, aren't yet out of the running, although it would be a remarkable comeback if the Super Eagles can take advantage of Bafana's bungle and sneak into top spot despite their own hapless qualifying campaign.
Two more points will be enough for Egypt to advance at the expense of Burkina Faso, while victory for Algeria against Somalia next month and four points for Ghana across their two outstanding fixtures would guarantee their progression.
Groups B and F remain tighter, although Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire put their destinies entirely in their own hands with the results they needed against the DRC and Gabon in gameweek seven.
Morocco have already advanced as Group E winners, although the fate of the second-placed team in this group - currently Tanzania - remains to be seen. With Eritrea having been withdrawn from qualification, allegedly due to concerns that players would take the option of away matches to abscond from the camp and seek asylum, teams in this group are playing one match fewer than the others.
It's hard to see how Tanzania -- if they hold off Zambia and Niger to finish second -- will have enough points to be competitive in the ranking of group runners-up. CAF are yet to reveal how they will handle this imbalance between the groups.