Habib Diallo goal made it two wins and two draws for Senegal in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup
Senegal moved to the top of their group in African qualifying for the 2026 World Cup after Habib Diallo’s header gave the Teranga Lions a 1-0 win in Mauritania.
The striker got in front of his marker on the edge of the six-yard box to meet an inswinging cross from Tottenham midfielder Pape Matar Sarr in the 27th minute in Nouakchott.
There was a lengthy delay in completing the match after frustrated home fans threw objects on to the pitch in the second half and proceedings were halted.
DR Congo are a point behind Senegal in the Group B table after the Leopards registered a 1-0 home win against Togo, with Brentford forward Yoane Wissa superbly setting up Meschack Elia’s early goal.
Meanwhile, Tunisia’s perfect start came to an end with a goalless draw away against Namibia, but the Carthage Eagles remain top of Group H on 10 points.
African World Cup qualifying tables
How does new African World Cup qualifying work?
All nine group winners at the end of the 10-match campaign are guaranteed a place at the 2026 finals, while another African side could book a spot in the United States, Mexico and Canada via an intercontinental tournament.
The fourth round of qualifiers continues on Monday and Tuesday, after which the African preliminaries will pause until March 2025.
Qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations are scheduled to be played in September, October and November, although the dates for both the group draw and the finals themselves in Morocco are yet to be announced by the Confederation of African Football.
Senegal had been held to a 1-1 draw at home by DR Congo on Thursday, a result which had left Sudan two points clear at the top of Group B.
The Teranga Lions were without Sadio Mane and Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson through injury but extended their unbeaten start following a fiercely contested West African derby against Mauritania played in hot conditions.
Mauritania’s Aboubakary Koita hit the crossbar with an early free-kick and Edouard Mendy tipped a fierce shot from the forward over the bar in first-half injury time as the hosts sought an equaliser.
Abdallahi Mahmoud wasted a glorious chance to equalise on the hour mark after Mendy had again denied Koita.
In Kinshasa, the only goal came in the sixth minute when DR Congo forward Wissa was freed down the left and then sent in a cross with the outside of his right boot which Elia volleyed in from a narrow angle at the back post.
Togo were mostly limited to long-range efforts in reply, with Karim Dermane going close.
Sudan could move back to the summit if they win in South Sudan on Tuesday.
Tunisia had won their first three qualifiers but were forced to settle for a point against Namibia
In Group H, Namibia were unable to make their first-half chances count during their home game against Tunisia in neutral Johannesburg,
However, the North Africans could count themselves somewhat fortunate when Charles Hambira’s 14th-minute effort was ruled out after Erastus Kalula was adjudged to have fouled goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said.
The draw takes Namibia on to eight points in Group H, two behind Tunisia, while Liberia are a point further back after Sheikh Sesay’s last-minute winner gave the Lone Stars a 1-0 away win against Sao Tome e Principe in neutral Oudja, Morocco.
However, the picture is complicated by Fifa’s ruling that Emilio Nsue was ineligible to play for Equatorial Guinea in their first two qualifiers – which turned their 1-0 wins over Namibia and Liberia into 3-0 defeats.
The Central Africans could yet appeal the sanction.
Elsewhere, Djibouti picked up their first point in Group A with a 1-1 draw against Ethiopia, who remain fifth in a table topped by Egypt.
Djibouti 1-1 Ethiopia (Group A)
DR Congo 1-0 Togo (Group B)
Mauritania 0-1 Senegal (Group B)
Namibia 0-0 Tunisia (Group H)
Sao Tome e Principe 0-1 Liberia (Group H)
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