With four matchdays remaining, the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup have already provided plenty of excitement. Here are some key facts and figures:
Top Scorers
Mohamed Salah of Egypt leads the scoring charts with six goals, including four in a 6-0 rout of Djibouti on matchday one. Algeria’s Mohamed Amoura is tied for second place with five goals, along with five other players.
Shocks and Upsets
Group C has been the most unpredictable, with minnows Lesotho forcing a draw in Nigeria, Rwanda beating South Africa on a rain-soaked pitch, and Benin coming from behind to defeat Nigeria. Zimbabwe also snatched a 1-1 draw in Nigeria with a late goal.
Popular Scorelines
A 1-0 scoreline has been the most common, with 33 of the 151 matches settled by a solitary goal. Draws have also been frequent, with 19 1-1 stalemates and 15 0-0 deadlocks.
One-Sided Matches
While most matches have been closely contested, there have been a few one-sided results. Ivory Coast thrashed the Seychelles 9-0, while there have been three 5-0 results and two 6-0 and 5-1 scorelines.
Seeded Teams
Egypt, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, and Tunisia have justified their top seeding by leading their respective groups. However, Mali and Nigeria, also top seeds, lie fourth in their groups, six points behind the leaders.
Morocco’s Perfect Record
Morocco is the only country with a perfect record after five victories. The Atlas Lions have beaten Tanzania, Zambia, Congo Brazzaville, and Niger, with two of those wins coming at home due to their opponents ceding home advantage.