Matchdays 5 and 6 of the African qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 produced thrilling drama, spectacular goals, and stunning upsets as the race to North America intensified. From Ghana’s commanding performances to Morocco’s last-gasp heroics and Sudan’s valiant resistance against Senegal, the battle for automatic qualification remains fiercely contested across the nine groups. Sport Blitz 360 reviews how each group unfolded during the March international window.
Group A
Egypt maintained their lead at the top of Group A with a convincing victory over Ethiopia, courtesy of goals from Mohamed Salah and Zizo. They concluded the March window with a narrow 1-0 win over Sierra Leone, extending their advantage to five points.
Burkina Faso bounced back with a commanding 4-1 win over Djibouti, while Sierra Leone stunned Guinea-Bissau 3-1 in Monrovia, giving new coach Mohamed Kallon a winning start. Djibouti remain anchored at the bottom of the group with just one point from six games.
Standings:
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Egypt – 16 pts
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Burkina Faso – 11 pts
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Sierra Leone – 8 pts
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Ethiopia – 6 pts
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Guinea-Bissau – 6 pts
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Djibouti – 1 pt
Group B
Sudan held favorites Senegal to a goalless draw in matchday 5 but were held by South Sudan, dropping them to third place in Group B with 12 points, despite remaining unbeaten.
Congo DR climbed to the top of the group for the first time, edging South Sudan and Mauritania, and now lead with 13 points, one ahead of Senegal.
Standings:
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DR Congo – 13 pts
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Senegal – 12 pts
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Sudan – 12 pts
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Togo – 4 pts
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Mauritania – 3 pts
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South Sudan – 2 pts
Group C
South Africa surged to the top of Group C with convincing wins over Lesotho and Benin. The Bafana Bafana have 13 points, giving them a five-point cushion over second-placed Rwanda.
Nigeria recorded their first win of the qualifiers with a brace from Victor Osimhen in Kigali but had their momentum halted by a draw with Zimbabwe.
Standings:
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South Africa – 13 pts
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Rwanda – 8 pts
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Benin – 8 pts
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Nigeria – 7 pts
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Lesotho – 6 pts
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Zimbabwe – 4 pts
Group D
Group D remains one of the tightest battles, with the top two separated by just a single point. Cameroon’s hopes of retaining first place were disrupted by a draw with Eswatini, and although they bounced back with a 3-1 win over Libya, it wasn’t enough to reclaim the top spot, now held by Cape Verde.
Standings:
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Cape Verde – 13 pts
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Cameroon – 12 pts
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Libya – 8 pts
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Angola – 7 pts
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Mauritius – 5 pts
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Eswatini – 2 pts
Group E
Morocco maintained their perfect record with hard-fought victories over Niger and Tanzania. A stoppage-time strike from El Khannouss preserved their 100% record, leaving the Atlas Lions nine points clear at the top of the group.
Standings:
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Morocco – 15 pts
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Niger – 8 pts
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Tanzania – 8 pts
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Zambia – 3 pts
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Congo – 0 pts
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Eritrea – 0 pts
Group F
Côte d’Ivoire reclaimed the top spot in Group F with narrow wins over Burundi and Gambia, accumulating 16 points, one ahead of second-placed Gabon. Gabon moved into second following a 3-1 victory over Seychelles and a narrow 2-1 win against Kenya.
Standings:
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Côte d’Ivoire – 16 pts
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Gabon – 15 pts
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Burundi – 10 pts
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Kenya – 6 pts
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Gambia – 4 pts
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Seychelles – 0 pts
Group G
Algeria leapfrogged Mozambique to claim the top spot in Group G, defeating Botswana and thrashing Mozambique 5-1 in matchday 6. Mozambique, despite defeating Uganda with a spectacular goal from Pepo, now sit second, three points behind Algeria.
Standings:
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Algeria – 15 pts
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Mozambique – 12 pts
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Botswana – 9 pts
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Uganda – 9 pts
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Guinea – 7 pts
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Somalia – 1 pt
Group H
Tunisia maintained control of Group H with a clinical 1-0 win over Liberia, followed by a 2-0 triumph over Malawi. The North African side now have 16 points and a four-point lead at the top. Namibia narrowly defeated Malawi, while Equatorial Guinea comfortably beat São Tomé and Príncipe.
Standings:
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Tunisia – 16 pts
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Namibia – 12 pts
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Liberia – 10 pts
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Malawi – 7 pts
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Equatorial Guinea – 6 pts
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São Tomé and Príncipe – 0 pts
Group I
Ghana returned to the top of Group I after a dominant 3-0 victory over Chad, followed by another 3-0 win against third-placed Madagascar. The Black Stars now hold a three-point lead over second-placed Comoros.
Comoros, however, continue to impress, bouncing back from their loss to Mali with a narrow 1-0 win over Chad. With three teams separated by just three points, the race for the second spot remains wide open.
Standings:
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Ghana – 15 pts
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Comoros – 12 pts
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Madagascar – 10 pts
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Mali – 9 pts
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Central African Republic – 5 pts
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Chad – 0 pts
The March internationals highlighted the intensity, unpredictability, and drama of Africa’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers. With several groups still tightly contested, teams will need to maintain focus as the campaign progresses, with every point crucial on the road to North America.
