Explainer: CAF Play-Off Tournament For World Cup 2026, Everything You Need To Know

CAF Play-Off Tournament: Dates, Bracket, And Format Explained For Fans

Africa’s qualifying campaign for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has produced joy, heartbreak, and one final battle. Nine countries have already qualified directly, but four others will travel to Morocco in November 2025 to fight for Africa’s last hope. Only one will survive and head to the Intercontinental Play-Off in March 2026.

Who Has Qualified Directly For the World Cup 2026?

Nine group winners topped their sections and booked automatic tickets to the finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. They are:

  • Egypt
  • Senegal
  • South Africa
  • Cape Verde
  • Morocco
  • Algeria
  • Tunisia
  • Ghana
  • Ivory Coast

Final CAF Group Standings

Here is how the nine groups ended after Matchday 10.

Group A

  1. Egypt — 26 pts, +18 GD — Qualified
  2. Burkina Faso — 21 pts
  3. Sierra Leone — 15 pts
  4. Guinea-Bissau — 10 pts
  5. Ethiopia — 9 pts
  6. Djibouti — 1 pt

Group B

  1. Senegal — 21 pts — Qualified
  2. DR Congo — 19 pts
  3. Sudan — 13 pts
  4. Togo — 8 pts
  5. Mauritania — 7 pts
  6. South Sudan — 5 pts

Group C

  1. South Africa — 15 pts — Qualified (after deductions)
  2. Nigeria — 14 pts
  3. Benin — 17 pts (third due to disqualification rules)
  4. Lesotho — 12 pts
  5. Rwanda — 11 pts
  6. Zimbabwe — 5 pts

Group D

  1. Cape Verde — 23 pts — Qualified
  2. Cameroon — 19 pts
  3. Libya — 16 pts
  4. Angola — 12 pts
  5. Mauritius — 6 pts
  6. Eswatini — 3 pts

Group E

  1. Morocco — 21 pts — Qualified
  2. Niger — 15 pts
  3. Tanzania — 10 pts
  4. Zambia — 9 pts
  5. Congo — 1 pt
  6. Eritrea — withdrew

Group F

  1. Ivory Coast — 23 pts — Qualified
  2. Gabon — 22 pts
  3. Kenya — 12 pts
  4. Gambia — 10 pts
  5. Burundi — 10 pts
  6. Seychelles — 0 pts

Group G

  1. Algeria — 22 pts — Qualified
  2. Uganda — 18 pts
  3. Mozambique — 15 pts
  4. Guinea — 14 pts
  5. Botswana — 9 pts
  6. Somalia — 1 pt

Group H

  1. Tunisia — 28 pts — Qualified
  2. Namibia — 15 pts
  3. Liberia — 15 pts
  4. Malawi — 13 pts
  5. Equatorial Guinea — 11 pts
  6. São Tomé & Príncipe — 3 pts

Group I

  1. Ghana — 25 pts — Qualified
  2. Madagascar — 19 pts
  3. Mali — 18 pts
  4. Comoros — 15 pts
  5. Central African Republic — 8 pts
  6. Chad — 1 pt

How Were The Four Play-Off Teams Chosen?

Nine runners-up were compared on an adjusted table.  According to CAF, to keep the competition fair, results against the last-placed team in each group were excluded, except for Group E, where Eritrea withdrew and all matches counted.

CAF explained:

“The results against the last-placed team in each group are not counted. This ensures fairness across groups of different strengths.”

Adjusted Runners-Up Ranking (After Discounting Bottom Teams)

Rank Team Adjusted Points Adjusted GD Status
1 Gabon 16 +4 Qualified
2 Cameroon 15 +9 Qualified
3 Nigeria 15 +7 Qualified
4 DR Congo 16 +5 Qualified
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

The four highlighted sides — Gabon, Cameroon, Nigeria, and DR Congo — advanced to the CAF play-offs.

Who Will Face Who In Morocco?

The October 2025 FIFA World Rankings, released on 23 October, determined the seeding. The highest-ranked team faced the lowest-ranked, while the second and third met.

The confirmed semi-final bracket is:

  • Semi-Final 1: Gabon vs Nigeria
  • Semi-Final 2: Cameroon vs DR Congo

 

Both matches will take place on 13 November 2025 in Morocco. The winners advance to the CAF Play-Off Final on 16 November 2025.

CAF outlined:

“The mini-tournament will follow a knockout format. Matches tied after 90 minutes will proceed to extra time and, if necessary, penalties.”

That means the final will feature either Gabon or Nigeria against Cameroon or DR Congo.

What Happens After The CAF Play-Off Final?

The champion will progress to the FIFA Intercontinental Play-Off tournament, staged from 23–31 March 2026.

According to FIFA, six teams will compete for two places at the World Cup:

  • 2 from Concacaf
  • 1 from Asia (AFC)
  • 1 from Africa (CAF play-off winner)
  • 1 from South America (Bolivia)
  • 1 from Oceania (New Caledonia)

The four lowest-ranked teams enter the semi-finals. The two winners face the seeded nations in finals. The two final winners claim the last two World Cup slots.

So Africa’s final representative will still need at least one more win — and possibly two — to reach the World Cup.

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