Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire have secured Africa’s final two automatic spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following decisive victories on Tuesday, according to BBC Sport.
Senegal dominated Mauritania 4-0 at home to seal top spot in Group B. Sadio Mane opened the scoring with a free-kick just before halftime, before adding a second of his own.
Iliman Ndiaye impressed with a solo effort, and Habib Diallo completed the rout late in the match.
The Teranga Lions finished the campaign two points clear of DR Congo, who edged past Sudan 1-0 thanks to Theo Bongonda’s first-half strike.
In Group F, Côte d’Ivoire beat Kenya 3-0 in Abidjan. Franck Kessie put the Elephants ahead early, and teenager Yan Diomande doubled the advantage after the break.
Amad, the Manchester United winger, curled in a stunning free-kick to seal the win.
This victory saw the reigning African champions finish a point above Gabon, who defeated Burundi 2-0 in Franceville with late goals from Bryan Meyo and Mario Lemina.
Remarkably, Côte d’Ivoire went through the group stage without conceding a single goal, joining Tunisia as the only other African side to achieve this feat.
With these results, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire join Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, and South Africa as confirmed African representatives at next year’s World Cup.
A ninth African team could still emerge from the upcoming continental play-offs.
Cameroon, DR Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria finished as the four best-ranked second-placed teams across the nine groups, and one of these nations will get a chance to claim Africa’s final spot through the inter-confederation tournament in March 2026.
The Confederation of African Football has not yet announced a date for the play-off draw.
