Cameroon Must Win At Least Three Matches To Qualify For World Cup 2026
Cameroon’s hopes of reaching the FIFA World Cup 2026 are still alive despite finishing second in Group D. The Indomitable Lions missed out on automatic qualification. Still, CAF’s rules mean their journey continues. To book their place at the finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, Cameroon must now battle through both the CAF play-off and FIFA’s inter-confederation play-off.
Importantly, Cameroon must win at least three matches — and possibly four — to qualify. Their route depends on FIFA’s seeding system at the March 2026 tournament.
Cape Verde Qualify, Cameroon Second Best
Group D concluded with Cape Verde claiming top spot on 23 points, booking a direct ticket to the World Cup. Cameroun finished second on 19 points, which placed them in the runners-up ranking.
Group D Final Standings:
- Cape Verde – 23 pts
(Qualified) - Cameroun – 19 pts (Runner-up)
- Libya – 15 pts
- Angola – 12 pts
- Mauritius – 6 pts
- Eswatini – 3 pts
CAF Runners-Up Battle: Cameroon Among Top Four
CAF’s system discards results against the bottom team in each group to rank all nine runners-up. The top four progress to the play-off tournament. Cameroun qualified alongside Gabon, Nigeria, and DR Congo.
Official Runners-Up Ranking:
| Rank | Team | Adjusted Points | Adjusted GD | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabon | 16 | +4 | Advanced to CAF play-off |
| 2 | Cameroun | 15 | +9 | Advanced to CAF play-off |
| 3 | Nigeria | 15 | +7 | Advanced to CAF play-off |
| 4 | DR Congo | 16 | +5 | Advanced to CAF play-off |
| 5 | Burkina Faso | 15 | +6 | Eliminated |
| 6 | Niger | 15 | +1 | Eliminated |
| 7 | Madagascar | 13 | 0 | Eliminated |
| 8 | Uganda | 12 | +2 | Eliminated |
| 9 | Namibia | 9 | −2 | Eliminated |
CAF confirmed the fixtures for November 2025:
- Nigeria vs Gabon
- Cameroun vs DR Congo
The winners meet in a final. Only the champion proceeds to FIFA’s inter-confederation play-off.
FIFA Play-Off: At Least One, Possibly Two More Matches
Winning the CAF play-off is only half the battle. Cameroun must then face international opposition in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament, scheduled for 23–31 March 2026.
FIFA explained the format:
“Six sides fight it out for the final two places … it will involve two teams from Concacaf and one team apiece from the AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC.” — FIFA
- If Cameroon are among the top two seeded teams, they will go straight to the final, meaning one win at this stage would qualify them.
- If they are unseeded, they must play both a semi-final and a final — requiring two more wins.
This means Cameroon need to win at least three matches overall (CAF semi-final, CAF final, FIFA final). If unseeded at the FIFA play-off, they would need four wins in total to secure a place at the World Cup.
Indomitable Lions’ Uphill Climb
Cameroon have qualified for eight World Cups since 1982, more than any other African nation. Their fans know the stakes: three or four knockout wins now separate the Indomitable Lions from extending their proud legacy on football’s grandest stage.
November’s clash with DR Congo is the first hurdle. From there, the road only gets harder — but not impossible.
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The post How Can Cameroon Still Qualify For the 2026 World Cup Despite Finishing Second? appeared first on iHarare News.
