CAF announce fixtures and venues for crucial World Cup playoff
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released the full schedule for the African World Cup qualification playoff scheduled for November this year.
The mini-tournament will run from November 13 to 16 in Rabat, Morocco as four African countries battle for a single Inter-Continental ticket in March 2026.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles will kick off their campaign for redemption against Gabon on Thursday, November 13. Having narrowly missed the 2022 World Cup, the three-time African champions are determined to reclaim their spot on the global stage. Head coach Eric Chelle “will be eager to see his side respond with conviction after an uneven qualifying campaign.”
Their opponents, Gabon, are chasing history, as the Panthers seeks for their maiden World Cup qualification. Gabon see this as a golden opportunity to rewrite their footballing history and will be counting on their star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to spearhead their challenge.
The second semi-final on the same day pits Cameroon against the Democratic Republic of Congo, with victory crucial to booking a place in the final.
The above matches will be held across two Rabat venues, the El Barid Stadium and Prince Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex.
The winners of both semi-finals will meet in the final on Sunday, November 16, 2025.
Only one of the four nations will advance to the FIFA Inter-Continental Play-off in March 2026, which is the final step toward securing Africa’s tenth World Cup slot for the expanded 48-team tournament.
