Benin, Cape Verde, Gabon, and Mozambique Ascend to the Top of World Cup Qualifying Pools

On Thursday, a surprising turn of events unfolded in the African preliminaries for the 2026 World Cup, as Benin, Cape Verde, Gabon, and Mozambique claimed the top spots in their respective qualifying groups, nearing the halfway stage of the tournament.

Cape Verde now sits at the pinnacle of Group D after Yannick Semedo’s late strike secured them a 1-0 victory at home against Mauritius, giving them 10 points, just ahead of Cameroon with nine.

Mozambique capitalised on two costly errors by goalkeeper Ismail Watenga and the first-half red card for Denis Omedi to secure a comfortable 3-1 win against Uganda in Cairo, positioning themselves at the top of Group G.

With four wins from five fixtures, Mozambique has a three-point cushion over pre-tournament favourites Algeria, who are set to face Botswana away on Friday.

In Group C, Benin managed to top the table despite relinquishing a two-goal advantage against Zimbabwe. Their nearest rivals, Rwanda and South Africa, are scheduled to play on Friday.

Steve Mounie and Francisco Doku had put Benin in control by the 35th minute, but Marshall Munetsi pulled one back on the counter. Veteran striker Knowledge Musona equalised for Zimbabwe in the 59th minute during their match held in Durban, South Africa, as the country’s stadiums failed to meet required standards.

Musona, 34, nearly completed a sensational comeback but his late sliding attempt was thwarted by Benin’s goalkeeper, Marcel Dandjinou.

Kenya earned a dramatic 3-3 draw against Gambia in Abidjan, thanks to a last-minute equaliser from debutant William Wilson. The Australian-born 23-year-old scored with the final kick of the game, enabling Kenya to rally twice from behind in Group F in new coach Benni McCarthy’s inaugural match at the helm.

Meanwhile, Gabon leads the group following a dominant 3-0 home win over the lowly-ranked Seychelles, with Denis Bouanga netting twice.

In Group H, Namibia secured a narrow 1-0 away victory against Malawi, courtesy of a first-half strike from Prins Tjiuezu, maintaining pressure on group leaders Tunisia, who triumphed in Liberia on Wednesday. Tunisia is currently two points clear of second-place Namibia.

Sierra Leone celebrated their inaugural win of the qualifiers during new coach Mohamed Kallon’s debut, defeating Guinea Bissau 3-1 in Monrovia, Liberia. Both Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau now sit on five points, trailing Group A leaders Egypt by five points.

Looking ahead, there are 11 more matches scheduled across Africa on Friday as the continent aims to determine at least nine representatives for next year’s finals in North America.

Stay updated on the African World Cup qualifiers here.