MOROCCO became the first African country to earn a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup last night with a 5-0 victory at home to Niger, while South Africa defeated Lesotho 3-0 to make Super Eagles of Nigeria’s path even more difficult.
The Atlas Lions of Morocco won a sixth successive match in the qualifiers with two goals from Ismael Saibari and one each from Ayoub El Kaabi, Hamza Igamane and Azzedine Ounahi in Rabat.
They are the only side across the nine African qualifying groups with a 100 percent record.
Tanzania were the sole side still with a chance of catching them in Group E but their 1-1 draw earlier yesterday against Congo in Brazzaville saw them move onto 10 points from six games, while Morocco have 18 points.
The Moroccans were the first African country to reach a World Cup semi-final in Qatar in 2022 and have remained the top-ranked side on the continent since.
On a busy night of 14 qualifiers around the continent, Egypt kept up their stranglehold on Group A with a 2-0 home win over Ethiopia in Cairo.
Mohamed Salah converted a penalty for his seventh goal of the campaign and Omar Marmoush then took another spot kick for his first of the campaign.
With three games left, Egypt are five points clear of Burkina Faso, who beat bottom-placed Djibouti 6-0 with a double each from Dango Ouattara and defender Edmond Tapsoba.
African champions Cote d’Ivoire went back top of Group F, one point ahead of Gabon who they next play away on Tuesday, when they beat Burundi 1-0 in Abidjan.
The Ivorians were ahead in the third minute through Vakoun Bayo but failed to add more.
A single point also separates leaders Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal in Group B with a crunch clash between the two next up in Kinshasa on Tuesday.
Cedric Bakambu scored twice and Yoane Wissa added one as the Congolese won 4-1 in South Sudan while Senegal were 2-0 home victors over Sudan with captain Kalidou Koulibaly scoring the first and Pape Matar Sarr adding the second.
South Africa remain five points clear of second-placed Benin in Group C as both proved victorious yesterday, with the Super Eagles now nine points adrift of Bafana Bafana ahead of hosting Rwanda in Uyo on Saturday.
Burnley striker Lyle Foster was among the scorers as South Africa eased past Lesotho 3-0 while Steve Mounie scored the only goal as Benin edged Zimbabwe.
The Super Eagles, who have struggled through the campaign, still have faint hopes of topping the group but must beat Rwanda and then South Africa on Tuesday.
In Group G, Algeria’s qualification chances were dramatically enhanced as second-placed Mozambique lost 4-0 in Uganda while Namibia’s defeat by Malawi in Group H means Tunisia will qualify if they beat Equatorial Guinea away on Monday.
Both Algeria and Tunisia had won at home on Thursday.
The winners of the nine qualifying groups automatically head to the World Cup in North America with the four best runners-up advancing to a playoff in November, with the potential of a further place at the finals.
RESULTS
South Sudan 1-4 DR Congo
Kenya 1-3 Gambia
Somalia 0-3 Guinea
Namibia1-2 Malawi
Lesotho 0-3 South Africa
Uganda 4-0 Mozambique
Benin 1-0 Zimbabwe
Congo 1-1 Tanzania
Djibouti 0-6 Burkina Faso
Egypt 2-0 Ethiopia
Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 Burundi
Mauritania 2-0 Togo
Morocco 5-0 Niger
Senegal 2-0 Sudan
With agency report