Teranga Lions, Elephants, and Super Eagles take centre stage

West African heavyweights Senegal, Ivory Coast and Nigeria will take centre stage when the group stage of CAF’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers wrap up with 11 matches across the continent on Tuesday 14 October.

The Teranga Lions and the Elephants are top of Groups B and F respectively, but will need home wins in the late-evening slot of games to guarantee a place at next year’s World Cup.

Senegal will host Mauritania at the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium, while second-placed DR Congo will hope to take advantage of any slip-up when they face Sudan at the Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa.

A win for the Leopards will at the very least lock down one of the four best runners-up berths, earning them a second shot at qualification via next month’s second-round, possibly followed by the inter-confederation playoffs in March 2026.

In Group F, Ivory Coast hold a one-point lead over Gabon at the top of the table, and the Elephants will feel confident of securing top spot with a win over Kenya at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, at the same time that the Panthers welcome Burundi to the Franceville Stadium.

Gabon will be without key man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – who scored all four goals in their amazing 4-3 triumph away to Gambia last week, but was also sent off late on – but already have enough points on the board to be one of the top-four runners-up.

In the early-evening block of matches, Group C is set to provide incredible intrigue – with Benin, Nigeria and South Africa all hoping to grasp automatic qualification.

The Cheetahs are best placed, boasting a two-point lead over Bafana Bafana – with the Super Eagles one point further back in third place. However, Benin’s final hurdle is as tough as it comes: away to Nigeria at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

If the Super Eagles can win that match by two clear goals, they will leapfrog Benin on the standings and possibly claim first place – but only if South Africa don’t win their final match, at home to Rwanda at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

“It will be very important what happens in the game between Nigeria and Benin; we will see what results will be there, but on the other side, we don’t have to really look,” explained South Africa coach Hugo Broos.

“If we win the game [against Rwanda], we will see what happens [between Nigeria and Benin], and that is the most important thing. [...] I will do everything to have again a team that believes on Tuesday we will try to win the game with as much goals as possible because now it will be maybe the goal difference that will decide who goes to America.”

2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers (CAF/Africa)

Matchday 10 fixtures – Tuesday 14 October 2025

Times CAT

3pm: Seychelles v Gambia

6pm: Somalia v Mozambique

6pm: Algeria v Uganda

6pm: South Africa v Rwanda

6pm: Nigeria v Benin

6pm: Guinea v Botswana

9pm: Ivory Coast v Kenya

9pm: Gabon v Burundi

9pm: DR Congo v Sudan

9pm: Morocco v Congo

9pm: Senegal v Mauritania