Key facts, figures from 2026 African World Cup qualifiers

African 2026 World Cup qualifying facts, figures after matchday six

Mohamed Salah Leading the Charge

Mohamed Salah, the prolific Liverpool forward, leads the goal-scoring charts in African World Cup qualifiers with six goals. The 32-year-old started the campaign with a bang, scoring four times in Egypt’s 6-0 win over Djibouti in Cairo on matchday one. He also netted in away matches against Guinea-Bissau and Ethiopia. Salah’s performances are instrumental in Egypt’s push for qualification.

Mohamed Amoura’s Hat-Trick

Wolfsburg striker Mohamed Amoura scored a hat-trick for Algeria in their 5-1 demolition of Mozambique on matchday six, bringing his total to five goals. Amoura shares second place with five other players, showcasing the competitive nature of the qualifying rounds.

Group C: Shocks and Surprises

Group C has been the source of the most shocks so far in the qualifiers. Lesotho held Nigeria to a draw in Nigeria, Rwanda stunned South Africa with a victory on a rain-saturated pitch, and Benin made a dramatic comeback to defeat Nigeria. On matchday six, Zimbabwe’s Tawanda Chirewa scored a dramatic late equalizer to secure a 1-1 draw against Nigeria.

Popular Scorelines

The most common scoreline during the first six rounds has been 1-0, with 33 matches settled by a single goal. The second most common scorelines were 2-1 and 2-0, each occurring 21 times. Draws were frequent as well, with 19 1-1 results and 15 0-0 stalemates. Lopsided scorelines were rare, with only three 5-0 results, and just two 6-0 and 5-1 scorelines. The most dominant result came from Ivory Coast, who crushed Seychelles 9-0.

Successful Seeded Teams

The top-seeded teams in the qualifiers—Egypt, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, and Tunisia—have justified their rankings by leading their respective groups with four matchdays left. The remaining two seeded teams, Cameroon and Senegal, are both in second place, just one point behind Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of Congo, respectively. Mali and Nigeria, the other two seeded teams, are in fourth place in their groups, trailing leaders Ghana and South Africa by six points.

Morocco’s Perfect Record

Morocco, the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists, are the only team among the 52 involved in the African qualifiers to maintain a perfect record after five matches. The Atlas Lions have won all their matches, including victories over Tanzania (2-0), Zambia (2-1), Congo Brazzaville (6-0), and Niger (2-1). Morocco benefitted from hosting their away fixtures against Congo and Niger, as the latter country lacks a FIFA-approved stadium, while Congo did not provide an explanation for giving up their home advantage.

The qualifiers remain intense, and with four matchdays left, the competition for a spot in the 2026 World Cup will only intensify.