Egypt made to wait for World Cup spot after draw with Burkina Faso
Nigeria's Tolu Arokodare jumps over a challenge by South Africa's Siyabonga Ngezana during a World Cup Group C qualifying soccer match between South Africa and Nigeria at the Free State stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. Credit: AP/Themba Hadebe
Egypt missed a chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare by settling for a 0-0 draw with Burkina Faso on Tuesday.
Morocco and Tunisia are the only African teams so far that have secured their place in next summer's tournament as the continent wrapped up its latest round of qualifying.
Group C leader South Africa also hoped to qualify Tuesday but was made to wait after a 1-1 draw with Nigeria.
Cape Verde upset Cameroon with a 1-0 victory that sparked celebrations and a pitch invasion. It was the fifth straight World Cup qualifying win for the archipelago nation, which ended this round atop Group D with 19 points, four ahead of the Indomitable Lions.
Nigeria, which has played at the World Cup six times, risks missing out on the tournament for the second straight edition. The Super Eagles trail South Africa by six points.
It has been a frustrating campaign for Nigeria despite havng a team full of European-based players like Victor Osimhen and current African player of the year Ademola Lookman.
Senegal staged a comeback against the Democratic Republic of Congo to win 3-2 and remains on top of Group B.
South Africa's Lyle Foster, front, battles for the ball with Nigeria's Benjamin Fredericks during a World Cup Group C qualifying soccer match between South Africa and Nigeria at the Free State stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. Credit: AP/Themba Hadebe
Ivory Coast remains atop Group F after a 0-0 draw with Gabon, but the two are separated by a single point.
The latest round of qualifiers sees Gabon's US-based Denis Bouanga leading the goalscoring charts with eight goals, one ahead of Egypt's Mohamed Salah.
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