Morocco first African nation to qualify for 2026 World Cup

CAPE TOWN :Morocco became the first African country to book a place at next year’s World Cup finals on Friday with a 5-0 victory at home to Niger ensuring they top their group.

Morocco won a sixth successive game in the qualifiers with two goals from Ismael Saibari and one each from Ayoub El Kaabi, Hamza Igamane and Azzedine Ounahi in Rabat.

They are the only side across the nine African qualifying groups with a 100 per cent record.

Tanzania were the sole side still with a chance of catching them in Group E but their 1-1 draw earlier on Friday against Congo in Brazzaville saw them move onto 10 points from six games, while Morocco have 18 points.

The Moroccans were the first African country to reach a World Cup semi-final in Qatar in 2022 and have remained the top-ranked African side since.

On a busy night of 14 qualifiers around the continent, Egypt kept up their stranglehold on Group A with a 2-0 home win over Ethiopia in Cairo. Mohamed Salah converted a penalty for his seventh goal of the preliminaries and Omar Marmoush then took another spot kick for his first of the campaign.

With three games left, Egypt are five points clear of Burkina Faso, who beat bottom-placed Djibouti 6-0 with a double each from Dango Ouattara and defender Edmond Tapsoba.

African champions Ivory Coast went back top of Group F, one point ahead of Gabon who they next play away on Tuesday, when they beat Burundi 1-0 in Abidjan.

The Ivorians were ahead in the third minute through Vakoun Bayo but failed to add more.

A single point also separates leaders Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal in Group B with a crunch clash between the two next up in Kinshasa on Tuesday. 

Cedric Bakambu scored twice and Yoane Wissa added one as the Congolese won 4-1 in