The Confederation of African Football has announced that Cameroon, Democratic of Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria would compete in the 2026 African World Cup qualification play-offs in Rabat, Morocco.
On November 13th, Nigeria will play Gabon in the first semi-final. The game will have two elite strikers, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Marseille and Victor Osimhen of Turkey. Osimhen’s spectacular hat-trick against Rwanda in the last group game of the month allowed Nigeria to defeat Burkina Faso and advance to the playoffs on goal differential.
Cameroon, whose eight World Cup berths set an African record, will also play DR Congo later on November 13th at a different location. Bryan Mbeumo, a striker for Manchester United, is probably going to play in this semifinal.
The goal of DR Congo is to get a second qualification. When the nation participated in the 1974 World Cup, it was known as Zaire. They suffered three defeats, including a 9-0 thumping by Yugoslavia.
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In March 2026, at a location to be determined, the winners of the mini tournament move on to the six-nation intercontinental play-offs. There will be competition for two spots for the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
New Caledonia and Bolivia, meanwhile, have guaranteed spots in the competition. Curacao and Costa Rica are the front-runners to occupy the two Caribbean/Central American spots, while Iraq or the United Arab Emirates will represent Asia.
Semi-finals:
Nov 13th – Gabon v Nigeria (16.00 GMT), Cameroon v DR Congo (19.00 GMT)
Nov 17th – 19.00 GMT
All matches will played in Rabat.