Bafana drawn with Nigeria for SWC 2026 African qualifying

South Africa will face old enemy Nigeria in Group C of the African qualifiers for the 2026 Soccer World Cup.

Other teams to make up the group include Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho.

The winners of each group secure automatic qualification for the World Cup, while a play-off stage for the four best group runners-up determines who will represent Africa in an inter-confederation tournament in March 2026.

The first round of fixtures for African qualifiers will take place in November.

Morocco, semi-finalists at the previous World Cup, are drawn in Group E with Zambia, Congo Brazzaville, Tanzania, Niger, and Eritrea.

Egypt are in Group A and will face Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, while Senegal is in Group B alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritania, Togo, Sudan, and South Sudan.

Africa qualifying draw for 2026 World Cup, made in Abidjan on Thursday:

Group A

Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Djibouti

Group B

Senegal, Democratic Republic of 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 Brazzaville, Tanzania, Niger, Eritrea

Group F

Ivory Coast, Gabon, Kenya, Gambia, Burundi, Seychelles

Group G

Algeria, Guinea, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana, Somalia

Group H

Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia, Sao Tome e Principe

Group I

Mali, Ghana, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Comoros, Chad

-- Nine group winners qualify for World Cup in Canada, Mexico and United States

-- Best four group runners-up enter play-offs and winning team qualify for inter-confederation tournament in March 2026

Matc