African World Cup Qualifiers: Group standings after matchday eight

Matchday eight of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers concluded on Tuesday with Benin’s emphatic win over Lesotho, a result that reshaped the group standings across the continent.

Tunisia became the latest nation to secure qualification, joining Morocco. Egypt also moved within touching distance of a place at the finals.

In Group B, Senegal overtook DR Congo to claim top spot after victory earlier this week.

Benin’s triumph in Group C lifted them above Nigeria and into contention with South Africa, who remain leaders.

Rwanda continue to hold on in the chase.

Cape Verde strengthened their grip on Group D with 19 points, though Cameroon and Libya remain close behind.

Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon are separated by a single point in Group F, while Gambia and Burundi climbed to 10 points each.

Algeria stay ahead in Group G but face pressure from Uganda and Mozambique, both now on 15 points.

The Comoros made one of the week’s biggest leaps, overtaking Mali to reach third in Group I, just behind Ghana and Madagascar.

Group standings

Group A

1. Egypt – 20 pts
2. Burkina Faso – 15 pts
3. Sierra Leone – 12 pts
4. Guinea-Bissau – 10 pts
5. Ethiopia – 6 pts
6. Djibouti – 1 pt

Group B

1. Senegal – 18 pts
2. DR Congo – 16 pts
3. Sudan – 12 pts
4. Togo – 7 pts
5. Mauritania – 6 pts
6. South Sudan – 4 pts

Group C

1. South Africa – 17 pts
2. Benin – 14 pts
3. Nigeria – 11 pts
4. Rwanda – 11 pts
5. Lesotho – 6 pts
6. Zimbabwe – 4 pts

Group D

1. Cape Verde – 19 pts
2. Cameroon – 15 pts
3. Libya – 14 pts
4. Angola – 10 pts
5. Mauritius – 5 pts
6. Eswatini – 2 pts

Group E

1. Morocco – 21 pts
2. Tanzania – 10 pts
3. Niger – 9 pts
4. Zambia – 6 pts
5. Congo – 1 pt
6. Eritrea – Withdrawn

Group F

1. Ivory Coast – 20 pts
2. Gabon – 19 pts
3. Gambia – 10 pts
4. Burundi – 10 pts
5. Kenya – 9 pts
6. Seychelles – 0 pt

Group G

1. Algeria – 19 pts
2. Uganda – 15 pts
3. Mozambique – 15 pts
4. Guinea – 11 pts
5. Botswana – 9 pts
6. Somalia – 1 pt

Group H

1. Tunisia – 22 pts
2. Namibia – 15 pts
3. Liberia – 11 pts
4. Malawi – 10 pts
5. Equatorial Guinea – 10 pts
6. Sao Tome and Principe – 0 pt

Group I

1. Ghana – 19 pts
2. Madagascar – 16 pts
3. Comoros – 15 pts
4. Mali – 12 pts
5. Central African Republic – 5 pts
6. Chad – 1 pt