Staff Reporter.
Ghana and South Africa suffered shock defeats in qualifying for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, while Cameroon and Senegal were forced to settle for draws away from home.
Ghana were beaten 1-0 by Comoros in their Group I contest in Moroni through Myziane Maolida’s fine solo effort two minutes before half-time.
Meanwhile, Rwanda pulled off a shock 2-0 win at home against South Africa to move to the top of Group C ahead of Bafana Bafana and Nigeria.
Rwanda now top Group C on four points, one ahead of South Africa and two ahead of Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Lesotho, who drew 0-0 against Benin in Durban, South Africa as the Squirrels picked up their first point.
Senegal were held to a goalless draw by Togo in Lome and Libya fought back to draw 1-1 with Cameroon in front of a fervent crowd in Benghazi.
In Morocco’s first World Cup-related match since the 2022 finals, where the team became the first African side to reach the last four, the Atlas Lions won 2-0 in Tanzania.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, there were wins for Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Uganda and Namibia, while Zambia suffered an unexpected defeat in Niger.
Africa will have a guaranteed nine teams at the expanded 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States, with the chance of a 10th team to qualify via intercontinental play-offs.
The African qualifying campaign resumes in June next year, with attentions on the continent now turning to January’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Tuesday’s African World Cup qualifying results
- Botswana 1-0 Guinea (Group G)
- Ethiopia 0-3 Burkina Faso (Group A)
- Lesotho 0-0 Benin (Group C)
- Malawi 0-1 Tunisia (Group H)
- Rwanda 2-0 South Africa (Group C)
- Somalia 0-1 Uganda (Group G)
- Eswatini 0-2 Cape Verde (Group D)
- Comoros 1-0 Ghana (Group I)
- Libya 1-1 Cameroon (Group D)
- Mauritius 0-0 Angola (Group D)
- Sao Tome e Principe 0-2 Namibia (Group H)
- South Sudan 0-0 Mauritania (Group B)
- Togo 0-0 Senegal (Group B)
- Niger 2-1 Zambia (Group E)
- Tanzania 0-2 Morocco (Group E).