The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will have its biggest-ever presence at the FIFA World Cup after ten African countries secured qualification for the 2026 tournament set to be hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams has significantly increased Africa’s slots, allowing the continent to double its representation compared to previous editions.
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Nine teams booked their places by finishing top of their respective qualifying groups during the competitive round-robin stage. Ivory Coast and Egypt stood out with impressive campaigns, each collecting 26 points to comfortably seal qualification.
Tunisia topped all qualifiers in terms of points, finishing with 28, while Morocco and South Africa also advanced after strong performances in their groups. Algeria, Ghana, Senegal, and Cape Verde completed the list of automatic qualifiers after finishing first in their respective pools.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo secured the tenth and final African slot through the intercontinental playoff route. The Leopards earned their ticket to the global stage with a narrow 1-0 victory over Jamaica, completing Africa’s historic lineup.
The ten qualified nations will be placed in different groups at the tournament, in line with FIFA regulations that prevent early matchups between teams from the same region.
Morocco and Senegal are expected to be placed in higher seeding pots, while the remaining African representatives will face a challenging draw against some of the world’s strongest football nations in the tournament across North America.
