Africa reveals 2026 World Cup qualifying format
THE 54 member nations of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will be divided into nine groups of six for the 2026 World Cup qualifying competition, the organisation said on Friday (May 19).
Each group winner secures a place at the first finals featuring 48 teams, which will be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar involved 32 countries.
The four best group runners-up go into play-offs with the winners progressing to an inter-confederation tournament with two World Cup places up for grabs.
A statement released after a CAF executive committee meeting in Algeria said the qualifying draw will be made in the Benin city of Cotonou on Jul 12.
The first two of 10 match days are scheduled for Nov 13-21 this year, followed by two each from Jun 3-11 next year and Mar 17-25, Sep 1-9 and Oct 6-14 in 2025.
Nov 10-18 in 2025 has been set aside for the four-team play-offs, with the winners joining two North and Central America countries and one each from Asia, Oceania and South America.
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Morocco made history in Qatar by becoming the first World Cup semi-finalists from Africa. They lost 2-0 to France in the penultimate round and 2-1 to Croatia in a play-off for third place.
CAF also announced that the draw for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast will be made on Oct 12.
Four qualifying rounds have been played, with the remaining two set for Jun 12-20 and Sep 4-12.
Apart from Ivory Coast, who are automatic entrants as hosts, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia have booked places, leaving 17 places to be filled.
On the club front, CAF are increasing prize money for their two competitions, the Champions League and the Confederation Cup, which is the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League.
Champions League winners will pocket US$4 million dollars – up from US$2.5 million last season – runners-up US$2 million and semi-finalists US$1.2 million.
Confederation Cup title-holders get US$2 million, an increase of US$750,000, runners-up US$1 million and semi-finalists US$750,000.
Record 10-time winners Al Ahly of Egypt qualified on Friday for the two-leg Champions League final, where they will face Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa or Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.
Young Africans of Tanzania and USM Alger booked places in the Confederation Cup final on Wednesday. AFP
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