2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF second round
The CAF second round of the qualification tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, also known as the CAF play-offs, was contested by four teams from the CAF segment of qualifying. The best four runners-up from the CAF first round groups participated in the play-offs, with the winner advancing to the inter-confederation play-offs. The second round featured two single-leg semi-finals and one single-leg final, with all matches played in Morocco from 13 to 16 November 2025.[1][2][3]
Qualified teams
The four best runners-up from the first round advanced to the second round. Results against sixth-place teams were discounted due to the differing group sizes as a result of Eritrea's withdrawal.[4]
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F |  Gabon
|
8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 19 | Second round |
| 2 | B |  DR Congo
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 16 | |
| 3 | D |  Cameroon
|
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 15 | |
| 4 | C |  Nigeria
|
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 15 | |
| 5 | A |  Burkina Faso
|
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 15 | |
| 6 | E |  Niger
|
8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 15 | |
| 7 | I |  Madagascar
|
8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 13 | |
| 8 | G |  Uganda
|
8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 12 | |
| 9 | H |  Namibia
|
8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 9 |
Format
Teams were seeded based on the FIFA Men's World Ranking of 17 October 2025, shown below in brackets, with the first and second teams playing the fourth and third teams, respectively,[5][6] in a single-leg knockout round with the semi-finals on 13 November and the final on 16 November 2025. All matches were played in Morocco,[7] with a draw on 30 October 2025 determining the semi-final venue assignments.[1] The winner of the final advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026.
If scores were level at the end of regulation, 30 minutes of extra time was played, where each team was allowed a sixth substitution. If the scores remained tied, a penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner.[8]
| Semi-final 1 | Semi-final 2 |
|---|---|
Bracket
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 13 November 2025 – Rabat (Hassan) | ||||||
| Nigeria (a.e.t.) | 4 | |||||
| 16 November 2025 – Rabat (Hassan) | ||||||
| Gabon | 1 | |||||
| Nigeria | 1 (3) | |||||
| 13 November 2025 – Rabat (Al Barid) | ||||||
| DR Congo (p) | 1 (4) | |||||
| Cameroon | 0 | |||||
| DR Congo | 1 | |||||
Summary
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-finals | ||
| Nigeria | 4–1 (a.e.t.) | Gabon |
| Cameroon | 0–1 | DR Congo |
| Final | ||
| Nigeria | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p) | DR Congo |
Semi-finals
Final
The winner, DR Congo, advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.
| Nigeria | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | DR Congo |
|---|---|---|
Onyeka  3' |
Report | Elia 32' |
| Penalties | ||
| 3–4 | ||
Goalscorers
There were 8 goals scored in 3 matches, for an average of 2.67 goals per match.
2 goals
1 goal
Discipline
A player was automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences:[8]
- Receiving a red card (red card suspensions could be extended for serious offences)
- Receiving two yellow cards in two different qualifying group stage matches (yellow card suspensions were carried forward to the play-off semi-finals, but not the play-off finals, World Cup final tournament or any other future international matches)
Yellow cards received during the qualifying group stage expired prior to the CAF play-offs, thus preventing suspensions in the play-off finals due to yellow cards received in the semi-finals. However, yellow card suspensions accumulated at the end of the qualifying group stage were still carried forward to the play-off semi-finals.[11]
The following suspensions were served during the second round qualifying matches:
| Team | Player | Offence(s) | Suspended for match(es) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR Congo |
Meschak Elia |  vs Senegal (6 June 2024) vs Sudan (14 October 2025) |
vs Cameroon (13 November 2025) |
| Gabon |
Mick Onfia | vs Seychelles (3 September 2025) vs Burundi (14 October 2025) |
vs Nigeria (13 November 2025) |
| Nigeria |
Semi Ajayi | vs Lesotho (16 November 2023) vs Benin (14 October 2025) |
vs Gabon (13 November 2025) |
References
- ^ a b "Everything you need to know about the African play-offs for the 2026 World Cup". 29 October 2025. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
- ^ "African Qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Inter-Continental Play-off tournament Venues, dates and Kick-off times Confirmed". 28 October 2025. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ Clottey, Nathaniel (29 October 2025). "CAF Confirms Dates and Venues for Play-Off Tournament - Africa Top Sports". Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ "The International Window on X". 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ Gleeson, Mark. "Morocco to host African World Cup playoffs". Reuters. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ Elikplim, Bokor (12 October 2025). "CAF confirms Morocco as host for 2026 World Cup African play-off tournament - AfricaSoccer.com". Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ Kabbour, Abderrahim (12 October 2025). "Morocco to Host African Playoff Matches for World Cup Qualifiers". Morocco World News. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Regulations: FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition" (PDF). FIFA. June 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "Spain stay top as Argentina move back to second". FIFA. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
- ^ "Nigeria 4 Gabon 1: World Cup dream lives on, Osimhen's miss (and goals) and VAR controversy". The New York Times. 13 November 2025.
- ^ Gent, Oli (15 November 2025). "Wilfred Ndidi: Nigeria star escapes World Cup play-off final ban after suspension U-turn". The Standard. Retrieved 16 November 2025.