The race for the nine places allocated to African nations at the 2026 Fifa World Cup in USA, Mexico and Canada commences on Wednesday afternoon with four games on menu. The continent’s first ever World Cup representatives Democratic Republic of Congo host Mauritania at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa in a group B encounter less than eight months after they beat the same side 3-1 in an African Nations Cup qualifier.
Due to stricter regulations by world football governing body Fifa, DR Congo’s Simbas are among a select group of African nations that will be able to host their home matches in their countries. Ethiopia’s Walya Antelopes will host today’s group A match up with Sierra Leone at Morocco’s Stade El Abdi whereas Zimbabwe will host Sunday’s crunch group C clash with Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the Huye Stadium in Butare, Rwanda four days after playing the Amavubi Stars at the same venue.
2010 World Cup hosts South Africa, who were drawn in the same group as the continent’s largest country by population, Nigeria, will serve as a home ground for its own matches including Saturday’s group C collision with Benin as well as the Eswatini’s group D encounter with Libya on Friday, November 17 and Tuesday’s match up with Cape Verde. Lesotho’s Crocodiles will also play home matches at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa.
Qatar 2022 semifinalists Morocco will meanwhile serve as a home ground for up to five countries. The Atlas Lions are not in action until Tuesday, November 21 when they face Tanzania’s Taifa Stars at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam but Moroccan fans will be served a rich menu of action. On Friday, Guinea Conakry hosts Paul Put’s Uganda Cranes at the in Municipal Stadium in Berkane whereas Niger face Tanzania in Marrakech the following day. Burkina Faso host Guinea Bissau in Morocco on Friday.
The strangest choices of home grounds will witness the Indian Ocean Island of Seychelles host their group F match up against Kenya’s Harambee Stars at the Houphuoet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, a whole 6700km away from home turf. Just as intriguing is Gambia’s choice of the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam as the venue for their group F home match up with Ivory Coast’s Elephants on Monday, November 20. 8,800km separate Tanzania’s commercial capital from Banjul, Gambia.
WEDNESDAY
Equatorial Guinea v Namibia,
Rwanda v Zimbabwe,
DR Congo v Mauritania,
Ethiopia v Sierra Leone
THURSDAY
Botswana v Mozambique,
Burundi v Gambia,
Nigeria v Lesotho,
Algeria v Somalia,
Cape Verde v Angola,
Egypt v Djibouti,
Sudan v Togo
FRIDAY
Guinea Conakry v Uganda,
Eswatini v Libya,
Liberia v Malawi,
Ghana v Madagascar,
Comoros v Central African Republic,
Zambia v Congo Brazzaville,
Ivory Coast v Seychelles,
Mali v Chad,
Cameroon v Mauritius,
Burkina Faso v Guinea Bissau
