Matchday 5 of the African qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ delivered drama, goals, upsets and gritty resilience as the road to North America intensified.
From Ghana’s five-star display to Morocco’s last-gasp heroics and Sudan’s defiance against Senegal, the path to automatic qualification remains tense across the nine groups.
Here’s how each group unfolded (all times in GMT):
📢 GET A DETAILED ARTICLES + JOBS
Join SamBoad's WhatsApp Channel and never miss a post or opportunity.
Group A: Pharaohs Firm, Stallions Charge, Leone Stars Climb
Results:
Ethiopia 0-2 Egypt
Burkina Faso 4-1 Djibouti
Sierra Leone 3-1 Guinea-Bissau
Egypt remain top of Group A after goals from Salah and Zizo sealed a comfortable win over Ethiopia. Burkina Faso bounced back with a confident 4-1 triumph over Djibouti, while Sierra Leone stunned Guinea-Bissau with a 3-1 win in Monrovia, giving Mohamed Kallon a victorious start as coach.
Standings:
Egypt – 13 pts
Burkina Faso – 8 pts
Sierra Leone – 8 pts
Guinea-Bissau – 6 pts
Ethiopia – 3 pts
Djibouti – 1 pt
Next Fixtures (Matchday 6):
24.03 – Mali vs Guinea-Bissau (16:00)
24.03 – Ethiopia vs Djibouti (21:00)
25.03 – Egypt vs Sierra Leone (19:00)
Group B: Stalemate in Libya as Congo DR Closes In
Results:
Sudan 0-0 Senegal
Congo DR 1-0 South Sudan
Togo 2-2 Mauritania
Sudan held favourites Senegal to a goalless draw in Benina to remain unbeaten and top of the group. Congo DR edged South Sudan to climb within a point of Sudan. Togo and Mauritania shared the spoils in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
Standings:
Sudan – 11 pts
DR Congo – 10 pts
Senegal – 9 pts
Togo – 5 pts
Mauritania – 2 pts
South Sudan – 2 pts
Next Fixtures (Matchday 6):
24.03 – Central Africa vs Mali (16:00)
25.03 – Sudan vs South Sudan (19:00)
25.03 – Senegal vs Togo (21:00)
25.03 – Mauritania vs DR Congo (21:00)
Group C: South Africa Hit the Summit, Osimhen Sparks Nigeria
Results:
South Africa 2-0 Lesotho
Nigeria 2-0 Rwanda
Zimbabwe 2-2 Benin
Bafana Bafana went top thanks to a second-half burst against Lesotho. Nigeria recorded their first win, with Osimhen scoring twice in Kigali. Benin dropped points after blowing a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw with Zimbabwe.
Standings:
South Africa – 10 pts
Benin – 8 pts
Rwanda – 7 pts
Nigeria – 7 pts
Lesotho – 5 pts
Zimbabwe – 3 pts
Next Fixtures (Matchday 6):
25.03 – Benin vs South Africa (16:00)
25.03 – Nigeria vs Zimbabwe (16:00)
25.03 – Rwanda vs Lesotho (16:00)
Group D: Algeria Pounce as Cabo Verde Leave It Late
Results:
Algeria 3-1 Botswana
Cabo Verde 1-0 Mauritius
Libya 1-1 Angola
Eswatini 0-0 Cameroon
Algeria now top Group D on goal difference after Amoura’s brace downed Botswana. Cabo Verde edged Mauritius late, while Angola’s stoppage-time equaliser denied Libya. Cameroon dropped points in a shock draw with bottom side Eswatini.
Standings:
Algeria – 12 pts
Mozambique – 12 pts
Guinea – 7 pts
Botswana – 6 pts
Uganda – 6 pts
Somalia – 1 pt
Next Fixtures (Matchday 6):
23.03 – Eswatini vs Mauritius (13:00)
25.03 – Angola vs Cape Verde (16:00)
25.03 – Cameroon vs Libya (19:00)
Group E: Morocco Leave It Late to Stay Perfect
Results:
Niger 1-2 Morocco
Morocco made it four wins from four with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Niger. El Khannouss’ stoppage-time goal preserved their 100% record and put the Atlas Lions six points clear atop Group E.
Standings:
Morocco – 12 pts
Niger – 6 pts
Tanzania – 6 pts (game in hand)
Zambia – 3 pts
Congo – 0 pts
Eritrea – 0 pts
Group E – Matchday 6 Fixtures
25.03.2025 – 16:00 GMT | Zambia vs Niger
25.03.2025 – 21:30 GMT | Morocco vs Tanzania
25.03.2025 – 16:00 GMT | Congo vs [Bye] (due to Eritrea’s withdrawal, Congo will be idle)
Group F: Elephants March On as Gabon Roar
Results:
Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 Burundi
Gabon 3-0 Seychelles
Gambia 3-3 Kenya
Côte d’Ivoire regained top spot with a narrow win over Burundi. Gabon moved into second with a confident display against Seychelles, while Kenya and Gambia played out a six-goal thriller.
Standings:
Côte d’Ivoire – 13 pts
Gabon – 12 pts
Burundi – 7 pts
Kenya – 4 pts
Gambia – 4 pts
Seychelles – 0 pts
Next Fixtures (Matchday 6):
23.03 – Kenya vs Gabon (13:00)
24.03 – Cote d’Ivoire vs Gambia (16:00)
25.03 – Burundi vs Seychelles (19:00)
Group G: Algeria Edge Ahead of Mambas
Results:
Mozambique 3-1 Uganda
Guinea 0-0 Somalia
Botswana 1-3 Algeria
Algeria leapfrogged Mozambique on goal difference after dispatching Botswana. Earlier in the week, Mozambique defeated Uganda with a Pepo masterclass. Guinea were held to a shock draw by Somalia.
Standings:
Algeria – 12 pts (+6)
Mozambique – 12 pts (+3)
Guinea – 7 pts
Botswana – 6 pts
Uganda – 6 pts
Somalia – 1 pt
Next Fixtures (Matchday 6):
24.03 – Namibia vs Equatorial Guinea (13:00)
25.03 – Uganda vs Guinea (16:00)
25.03 – Algeria vs Mozambique (21:00)
Group H: Tunisia Hold Firm as Namibia Chase
Results:
Tunisia 1-0 Liberia
Namibia 1-0 Malawi
Equatorial Guinea 2-0 São Tomé and Príncipe
Hazem Mastouri’s early goal helped Tunisia beat Liberia to keep their grip on the top spot. Namibia edged Malawi, while Equatorial Guinea swept past São Tomé and Príncipe.
Standings:
Tunisia – 13 pts
Namibia – 11 pts
Liberia – 7 pts
Malawi – 6 pts
Equatorial Guinea – 4 pts
São Tomé and Príncipe – 0 pts
Group H – Matchday 6 Fixtures
24.03.2025 – 16:00 | Liberia vs São Tomé and Príncipe
24.03.2025 – 21:00 | Tunisia vs Malawi
24.03.2025 – 13:00 | Botswana vs Somalia
Group I: Ghana Run Riot, Mali Bounce Back
Results:
Ghana 5-0 Chad
Mali 3-0 Comoros
Central African Republic 1-4 Madagascar
Ghana returned to the top of Group I with a thumping win over Chad. Mali kept their qualification hopes alive with a convincing victory against Comoros. Madagascar staged a comeback to thrash Central African Republic.
Standings:
Ghana – 12 pts
Madagascar – 10 pts
Comoros – 9 pts
Mali – 8 pts
Central African Republic – 4 pts
Chad – 0 pts
Group I – Matchday 6 Fixtures
24.03.2025 – 19:00 | Madagascar vs Ghana
25.03.2025 – 21:00 | Comoros vs Chad
24.03.2025 – 16:00 | Central African Republic vs Mali
Disclaimer: Some content on The High Street Business may be aggregated, summarized, or edited from third-party sources for informational purposes. Images and media are used under fair use or royalty-free licenses. The High Street Business is a subsidiary of SamBoad Publishing under SamBoad Business Group Ltd, registered in Ghana since 2014.
For concerns or inquiries, please visit our Privacy Policy or Contact Page.
Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian entrepreneur, writer, and digital consultant passionate about creating impactful stories and business solutions. He is the Founder & CEO of SamBoad Business Group Ltd, a dynamic company with subsidiaries in digital marketing, logistics, publishing, and risk management.
