(Getty Images)
Nigeria and South Africa were drawn in the same World Cup qualifying group on Thursday in a re-shaped African competition that will lead to at least nine teams at the 2026 showpiece in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The enlarged 48-team World Cup[1] in three years’ time means Africa’s places are up from five to nine, with the possibility of a 10th African team making it through an inter-continental playoff.
In the new African format, just the winners of the nine six-team groups are guaranteed a place at the World Cup. The four best second-place teams enter African playoffs and the one that comes through those makes it to an inter-continental mini-tournament, where the two final teams at the World Cup will be decided.
World Cup semifinalist Morocco, the first African or Arab team to make the last four after its surprising run[2] in Qatar last year, is in a group where its sternest tests will likely come from 2012 African champion Zambia and Niger.
The African qualifiers will be played from November to October 2025.
Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho are the other teams in Group C with Nigeria and South Africa. Zimbabwe was included in the draw after FIFA lifted an international ban[3] on the country on Tuesday. Zimbabwe was suspended in February 2022 because of government interference in its soccer federation.
Morocco, Zambia and Niger are in Group E with Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Eritrea, which is ranked 200 out of FIFA’s 211 teams.
The draw followed the Confederation of African Football’s general assembly in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the West African country that will host the next African Cup of Nations in January-February.
Defending African champion Senegal[4] will play Congo, Mauritania, Togo, Sudan and South Sudan in Group B. The Sudanese neighbors will play each other in World Cup qualifying having split into independent states in 2011 after decades of civil war. Egypt is in Group A and is expected to be pushed by Burkina Faso for the qualifying place there. Egypt played at the 2018 World Cup in Russia after a 28-year absence but missed Qatar.Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Cameroon and Ghana were the five teams from Africa to qualify for the World Cup last year. While Morocco made history[5] to get to the semis, Senegal lost in the last 16[6] and the other three didn’t get past the group stage.Ghana faces a tough qualifying path in Group I against Mali, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Chad and Comoros, the tiny island archipelago that beat the Ghanaians[7] in the group stage of the last African Cup and sent them to an early and embarrassing elimination.Tunisia is with Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia and Sao Tome and Principe in Group H.Cameroon faces Cape Verde, Angola, Libya, Eswatini and Mauritius in Group D.Algeria is with Guinea, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana and Somalia in Group G.At CAF’s general assembly, FIFA president Gianni Infantino[8] announced a new African Football League featuring eight clubs from across the continent would kick off on Oct. 20.The African league was meant to be launched in August[9] with 24 teams and prize money of $100 million but was delayed and has been reduced to a much smaller competition.Infantino said it would eventually evolve into a “big version” but didn’t give any details on which clubs would initially take part or if it would still be the richest tournament in Africa, as CAF president Patrice Motsepe promised at last year’s general assembly in Tanzania.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports[10][11]JOIN THE CONVERSATION Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free)Sign InRegisterReferences
- ^ 48-team World Cup (apnews.com)
- ^ its surprising run (apnews.com)
- ^ lifted an international ban (www.fifa.com)
- ^ African champion Senegal (apnews.com)
- ^ Morocco made history (apnews.com)
- ^ Senegal lost in the last 16 (apnews.com)
- ^ beat the Ghanaians (apnews.com)
- ^ FIFA president Gianni Infantino (apnews.com)
- ^ meant to be launched in August (apnews.com)
- ^ https://apnews.com/hub/Soccer (apnews.com)
- ^ https://twitter.com/AP_Sports (twitter.com)
- ^ Code of Conduct (www.thestar.com)
Newer articles:
- ‘There is always risk’: The Zimbabwean de-miner in South Sudan - 14/07/2023 06:40
- South Korean peacekeepers partner with Dr John Garang Memorial University on pilot rice cultivation programme in Bor - 14/07/2023 06:34
- RRC commences registration of returnees and refugees in Lakes State - 14/07/2023 04:41
- Sudan govt willing to work with all parties to end conflict - 14/07/2023 03:05
- Egypt, Ethiopia hope to reach agreement within 4 months after long dispute over Africa’s largest dam - 14/07/2023 01:10
Older news items
- Sudan Hits Boiling Point: Bloodshed, Famine Political Meddling Cause Mass Refugee Crisis - 14/07/2023 01:03
- Sudan's poison, Kenya's meat? - 13/07/2023 04:29
- Cairo Hosts Sudan's Neighbouring Countries Summit To Discuss Ongoing Conflict - 13/07/2023 03:08
- Rival leaders push their peace plans while Sudan burns - 13/07/2023 02:45
- Leaders of South Sudan, Eritrea, Chad and Ethiopia arrive in Cairo for crucial Sudan summit - 13/07/2023 02:26
Latest news items (all categories):
- The Voice of Responsibility: How Young South Sudanese are Saying No to Violence Through Music, Drama, and Digital Content - 03/06/2026 16:56
- Peace fails if it is not defended. The UN’s peacekeepers cannot do this alone - 03/06/2026 16:39
- 'Brink of famine': Why South Sudan’s children are paying the price of war - 03/06/2026 16:34
- Volleyball Cranes defeat South Sudan to maintain perfect start - 03/06/2026 16:30
- 'I've seen love': South Sudan bishop applauds Canadians during first visit - 03/06/2026 16:26
Random articles (all categories):
- South Sudan bans hunting; follows Kenya, with Chinese support - 17/03/2018 22:00
- Aid agencies withdraw international staff from town of Leer in South Sudan fearing violence - 09/05/2015 10:56
- South Sudan rebels take most of strategic city of Bor - 01/01/2014 02:39
- Multiple vacancies with UNICEF South Sudan - 12/10/2022 12:11
- IDC student from South Sudan deported to Juba - Jerusalem Post - 09/12/2012 13:50
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 145361 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 27293 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 24531 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 23908 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 21751 times
