Madagascar and Tunisia secured crucial away victories on Wednesday as two rounds of African 2026 World Cup qualifiers commenced. Cameroon, however, were held to a goalless draw by Eswatini after severely disrupted travel arrangements.
The Indomitable Lions, record holders for World Cup finals appearances by an African nation, only arrived at their hotel in Nelspruit, South Africa, approximately 15 hours before kickoff. Their chartered flight, delayed in departing Cameroon, was unable to land at Nelspruit airport as it had closed for the night. The squad instead landed in Johannesburg and endured a three-hour wait followed by a five-hour bus journey.
The resulting fatigue was evident in a listless performance against Eswatini, who picked up their first point of the qualifying campaign. The match was played in Nelspruit because Eswatini’s own stadiums do not meet Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards. The draw leaves Cameroon leading Group D with nine points at the halfway stage, but only two points ahead of Libya and the Cape Verde Islands, who both have home games on Thursday.
Tunisia extended their lead in Group H to five points with a 1-0 away win over Liberia in Monrovia. Hazem Mastouri, the Tunisian league’s top scorer, netted the only goal of the game in the fourth minute, marking a winning start for returning coach Sami Trabelsi.
Madagascar, under new coach and former French international Corentin Martins, enjoyed a superb start, winning 4-1 away against the Central African Republic. The Central African Republic’s defender, Hugo Gambor scored the opener. Rayan Raveloson scored a brace. The match was hosted in Casablanca. The victory puts Madagascar top of Group I with 10 points, one point ahead of Comoros and Ghana. Comoros play Mali on Thursday, and Ghana host Chad on Friday.
Nine more African zone qualifiers are scheduled for Thursday. The winners of each of the nine groups will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup in North America. The four best group runners-up will enter a playoff competition for a potential further place at the tournament.
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