Africa-Press – Eritrea. Next summer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup is drawing ever closer, and Africa’s finest have all punched their tickets to football’s grandest party. The North American nations of the USA, Mexico, and Canada will open their doors to the world next June and July, with the CAF region sending the majority of its heavyweights.
Morocco currently tops the bill as the highest-ranked African side headed to the tournament. They won all eight of their qualifiers, conceding just two goals in the process, with stars such as Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri leading the way. As a result, the Atlas Lions are now poised for a blockbuster year.
The Moroccans will host the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, and online betting websites have positioned them as the favorites to reign supreme on home turf. The popular Bovada website currently makes Ziyech and Co. a short-priced 11/4 frontrunner to win that particular tournament, and that’s not all. The American betting giant also lists them as the best hope for a first-ever African World Champion, with their 80/1 odds shorter than the likes of World Cup regulars Croatia and Switzerland.
But while Morocco is poised for a huge year, some of Africa’s biggest names find themselves in the unusual position of being on the outside looking in. Here are the three highest-ranked African teams that have not qualified for next summer’s FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria
Nigeria is currently ranked 34th in the world; however, its qualifying campaign couldn’t have gone any worse. The Super Eagles began with just one win through their opening six games, drawing home and away against Zimbabwe, as well as lowly Lesotho and South Africa. If that wasn’t bad enough, they also lost away in Benin, before a draw away against the Bafana Bafana left them on the brink.
As ever, Nigeria rallied, and it looked as though they would do enough to at least progress through the playoffs. They needed to beat Benin by three clear goals to secure a playoff spot on the final day of the qualifying campaign, and they were ultimately up to the task, winning 4-0 after a brace from Victor Osimhen. But once the playoffs got underway, familiar woes returned.
The Super Eagles met DR Congo in the CAF playoff final, with a spot in the intercontinental playoffs on the line. The two teams couldn’t be separated, forcing a penalty shootout. There, misses from Calvin Bassey, Moses Simon, and Semi Ajayi ensured that DR Congo progressed, keeping their dream of a first World Cup appearance in over half a century alive, while the Nigerians missed out for the second straight tournament.
Cameroon
Cameroon finds itself just four spots behind Nigeria in the world rankings, but it too won’t be headed to North America. The Indomitable Lions were one of the stars of the show in Qatar four years ago, with their epic comeback against Serbia and subsequent 1-0 victory against Brazil very nearly enough to secure a spot in the knockout round. Fast forward to now, and that dream run in the Arabian Gulf has become a nightmare.
After being drawn against Cape Verde, Libya, Angola, Mauritius, and Eswatini, Cameroon were huge favorites to progress and do so at a canter. However, they couldn’t keep pace with Cape Verde, which reeled off win after win, while Vincent Aboubakar and Co. slipped up. Three draws against Libya, Angola, and Eswatini, three of the weakest teams in the group, left them playing catch-up, and ultimately, they had to settle for a spot in the playoffs.
Much like the Nigerians before them, though, the playoffs would have a bitter end. Chancel Mbemba’s 91st-minute winner sent DR Congo to the playoff final, where they would beat the Super Eagles, while Cameroon were sent packing. They will be aiming to bounce back with much-improved performances at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Mali
Coming in at 50th in the world, Mali had very real hopes of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time, especially with Africa’s number of participants increased from five to nine. However, those hopes would ultimately be dashed.
After being drawn alongside Ghana, Mali were always going to be up against it, and defeats home and away against the Black Stars meant that automatic qualification was out of the question. But it was performances against the weaker nations in Group I that ultimately cost them. Two draws with the Central African Republic, as well as a draw away against Madagascar, left Mali ruing their missed opportunities.
They would ultimately finish in third place, with the Madagascans coming in second, representing a huge downturn in performances for the Malians compared to recent qualifying campaigns. They will now be looking toward youngsters such as Mamadou Sangaré, Kamory Doumbia, and Gaoussou Diarra to lead them into the future.
