World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Nigeria vs Lesotho, how African qualifiers for USA, Canada and Mexico go work? – BBC.com

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
African qualifiers for di 2026 Fifa World Cup go begin dis week on Wednesday.
Di number of kontris wey di continent go send dis time go increase for di new expanded format of football global showpiece.
Na only five kontris bin dey present for di 2022 finals for Qatar, for dat tournament, Morocco set new record as di first African side to reach semi-finals.
As e be now, nine African teams dey guaranteed a place for di next edition for Canada, Mexico and di United States.
Di tournament go feature 48 teams, Fifa increase di number from 32.
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Opportunity dey for a 10th team to qualify through di intercontinental play-off.
Dis go potentially double di amount of teams wey go secure a ticket to North America, di Confederation of African Football (Caf) don change di qualifying format.
BBC Sport Africa explain wetin you need to know about di campaign wey go last for two years.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Caf don cancel di traditional preliminary round wey dem bin dey use before, wia dem go put lower-ranked nations for a series of two-leg ties, di winners go now progress to group stage.
Di new plan na for all African nations to participate for a larger group stage – wit 54 entrants dem split di split 54 into nine pools, each pool go contain six teams.
But, Eritrea late withdrawal from qualifying on 10 November spoil Caf plans, e leave Group E wit only five teams.
Di fixtures dem go play dem home and away. Di nine group winners go qualify for di World Cup.
Di draw happun for July for Ivory Coast:
Group A: Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Djibouti
Group B: Senegal, DR Congo, Mauritania, Togo, Sudan, South Sudan
Group C: Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Lesotho
Group D: Cameroon, Cape Verde, Angola, Libya, Eswatini, Mauritius
Group E: Morocco, Zambia, Congo, Tanzania, Niger (Eritrea withdrew on 10 November)
Group F: Ivory Coast, Gabon, Kenya, The Gambia, Burundi, Seychelles
Group G: Algeria, Guinea, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana, Somalia
Group H: Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia, Sao Tome and Principe
Group I: Mali, Ghana, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Comoros, Chad
Di first two matches for each group dem go play between 15 and 21 November, while rounds three and four go take place next June.
Dem also need to schedule di qualifiers for di 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for 2024, di remaining six match days of World Cup qualifiers dem go spread am across di international windows wey dey for March, September and October 2025.
Some of di runners-up for di nine qualifying groups go get another chance to reach Canada, Mexico and USA.
Di four best-ranked second-placed teams go enta play-offs, wey go get semi-final and final for November 2025 to determine which African side go advance to di intercontinental play-off tournament.
Eritrea withdrawal go affect those rankings, Caf neva tok yet how dem resolved dat matter.
Di final global qualifying round go involve six teams wey go compete for di final two places for di 2026 finals, and dey expected to happun for March 2026.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Na only 13 African kontris don ever play for World Cup, but dis expansion to nine guaranteed qualifiers mean say chance dey to some first timers in three years time.
Each qualifying group for 2026 get at least one side wey don play for di tournament before.
But, Mali – wey Tunisia bin beat for Africa play-offs for Qatar 2022 – na di top seeds for Group I ahead of Ghana.
Burkina Faso, wey finish fourth for di 2021 Nations Cup for Cameroon, fit give Egypt tough time for Group A while Equatorial Guinea bin secure home victories ova Group H opponents Tunisia for qualifiers for both di 2022 World Cup and di 2023 Nations Cup.
Even wit a population of just ova half a million pipo, Cape Verde don turn themselves into regular Nations Cup qualifiers, dem reach four of di past six tournaments, and tori be say dem go fancy dia chances of upsetting Group D heavyweights Cameroon.
Meanwhile, Serhou Guirassy – wey don hit 15 goals in his nine league outings for Stuttgart dis season – fit help Guinea overcome Algeria for Group G?
Dis one wey dem spread di qualifiers ova two years, wit four matches wey go take place across September and October 2025, we fit see surprises dat go depend on di form and fitness of players.
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