Four of Africa’s footballing heavyweights will clash in Morocco this week as a high-stakes playoff tournament begins on Thursday to determine which nation will advance to the final intercontinental qualifier for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will compete in a three-match, single-elimination tournament in Rabat. The four teams secured their places by finishing as the best runners-up from the nine Confederation of African Football (CAF) qualifying groups.
The winner of the playoff will not qualify for the World Cup directly but will earn Africa’s single spot in the six-team FIFA intercontinental playoff tournament in March 2026, which will decide the final two entrants for the 48-team finals.
Fixtures and Tournament Details
The two sudden-death semifinals will be played on Thursday, November 13:
- Nigeria vs. Gabon: 5:00 p.m. local time (16:00 GMT) at Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
- Cameroon vs. Congo DR: 8:00 p.m. local time (19:00 GMT) at Al Barid Stadium.
The draw, based on FIFA rankings, pitted the top-seeded African runner-up, Nigeria, against the fourth-seeded Gabon. The second-seeded Cameroon was drawn against the third-seeded Congo DR.
The winners of the two semifinals will advance to a winner-take-all final on Sunday, November 16. That match is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. local time (19:00 GMT) at the newly built Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which is also set to host the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations final.
The Final Hurdle
The nine winners from the initial CAF group stage have already booked their places at the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Those teams are:
- Algeria
- Cape Verde
- Egypt
- Ghana
- Ivory Coast
- Morocco
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Tunisia
The winner of Sunday’s final in Rabat will keep their hopes alive to become the continent’s 10th representative at the expanded 39-day tournament.
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