2026 World Cup - African qualifiers
Group stage matchday 1 fixtures, 18 November 2023
Group stage matchday 1 results, 18 November 2023
Report: https://www.cafonline.com/news/mane-bra ... ualifying/
Report: https://www.cafonline.com/news/mane-bra ... ualifying/
Last edited by amenina on Sun Nov 19, 2023 05:33, edited 1 time in total.
So matchday 1 is in the books. 52 of the 53 teams started their WCQ journey, apart from Morocco whose opponents Ertirea withdrew. Here is a brief summary by the seeding matchups.
1 vs 6
Only top seed who dropped points in the "easiest" match is Nigeria, who drew with Lesotho at home.
2 vs 3
An important battle to set the early tone to see who will be the closest challenger to the top seed. And the second seeds came up out with 7 wins out of 9, with only Burkina Faso (vs Guinea-Bissau) and Cape Verde (vs Angola) drawing their first home match.
5 vs 4
These teams will be huge outsiders to enter the top two to have a chance for WC qualification. And the end results are pretty even: 3 draws (Ethiopia vs Sierra Leone, Sudan vs Togo, Rwanda vs Zimbawe), 4 away wins (Libya beat Eswatini, Tanzania beat Niger, Mozambique beat Botswana, Malawi beat Liberia), and 2 home wins (Burundi beat The Gambia, Comoros beat Central African Republic).
For matchday 2, the top three seeds will all be playing away: 4 vs 1, 5 vs 2, 6 vs 3.
1 vs 6
Only top seed who dropped points in the "easiest" match is Nigeria, who drew with Lesotho at home.
2 vs 3
An important battle to set the early tone to see who will be the closest challenger to the top seed. And the second seeds came up out with 7 wins out of 9, with only Burkina Faso (vs Guinea-Bissau) and Cape Verde (vs Angola) drawing their first home match.
5 vs 4
These teams will be huge outsiders to enter the top two to have a chance for WC qualification. And the end results are pretty even: 3 draws (Ethiopia vs Sierra Leone, Sudan vs Togo, Rwanda vs Zimbawe), 4 away wins (Libya beat Eswatini, Tanzania beat Niger, Mozambique beat Botswana, Malawi beat Liberia), and 2 home wins (Burundi beat The Gambia, Comoros beat Central African Republic).
For matchday 2, the top three seeds will all be playing away: 4 vs 1, 5 vs 2, 6 vs 3.
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That's a weird opening sequence.amenina wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2023 22:25 So matchday 1 is in the books. 52 of the 53 teams started their WCQ journey, apart from Morocco whose opponents Ertirea withdrew. Here is a brief summary by the seeding matchups.
1 vs 6
Only top seed who dropped points in the "easiest" match is Nigeria, who drew with Lesotho at home.
2 vs 3
An important battle to set the early tone to see who will be the closest challenger to the top seed. And the second seeds came up out with 7 wins out of 9, with only Burkina Faso (vs Guinea-Bissau) and Cape Verde (vs Angola) drawing their first home match.
5 vs 4
These teams will be huge outsiders to enter the top two to have a chance for WC qualification. And the end results are pretty even: 3 draws (Ethiopia vs Sierra Leone, Sudan vs Togo, Rwanda vs Zimbawe), 4 away wins (Libya beat Eswatini, Tanzania beat Niger, Mozambique beat Botswana, Malawi beat Liberia), and 2 home wins (Burundi beat The Gambia, Comoros beat Central African Republic).
For matchday 2, the top three seeds will all be playing away: 4 vs 1, 5 vs 2, 6 vs 3.
One team (Team 5) will play two home matches in this window, while another team (Team 3) will play two away matches in this windows. The other four teams will play one home match and one away match each.Jackson Harrison wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2023 23:00That's a weird opening sequence.amenina wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2023 22:25 So matchday 1 is in the books. 52 of the 53 teams started their WCQ journey, apart from Morocco whose opponents Ertirea withdrew. Here is a brief summary by the seeding matchups.
1 vs 6
Only top seed who dropped points in the "easiest" match is Nigeria, who drew with Lesotho at home.
2 vs 3
An important battle to set the early tone to see who will be the closest challenger to the top seed. And the second seeds came up out with 7 wins out of 9, with only Burkina Faso (vs Guinea-Bissau) and Cape Verde (vs Angola) drawing their first home match.
5 vs 4
These teams will be huge outsiders to enter the top two to have a chance for WC qualification. And the end results are pretty even: 3 draws (Ethiopia vs Sierra Leone, Sudan vs Togo, Rwanda vs Zimbawe), 4 away wins (Libya beat Eswatini, Tanzania beat Niger, Mozambique beat Botswana, Malawi beat Liberia), and 2 home wins (Burundi beat The Gambia, Comoros beat Central African Republic).
For matchday 2, the top three seeds will all be playing away: 4 vs 1, 5 vs 2, 6 vs 3.
Standings after matchday 1
Group stage matchday 2 fixtures, 19 November 2023
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I know, why can't all 6 play 1 home and 1 away?amenina wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2023 23:03One team (Team 5) will play two home matches in this window, while another team (Team 3) will play two away matches in this windows. The other four teams will play one home match and one away match each.Jackson Harrison wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2023 23:00That's a weird opening sequence.amenina wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2023 22:25 So matchday 1 is in the books. 52 of the 53 teams started their WCQ journey, apart from Morocco whose opponents Ertirea withdrew. Here is a brief summary by the seeding matchups.
1 vs 6
Only top seed who dropped points in the "easiest" match is Nigeria, who drew with Lesotho at home.
2 vs 3
An important battle to set the early tone to see who will be the closest challenger to the top seed. And the second seeds came up out with 7 wins out of 9, with only Burkina Faso (vs Guinea-Bissau) and Cape Verde (vs Angola) drawing their first home match.
5 vs 4
These teams will be huge outsiders to enter the top two to have a chance for WC qualification. And the end results are pretty even: 3 draws (Ethiopia vs Sierra Leone, Sudan vs Togo, Rwanda vs Zimbawe), 4 away wins (Libya beat Eswatini, Tanzania beat Niger, Mozambique beat Botswana, Malawi beat Liberia), and 2 home wins (Burundi beat The Gambia, Comoros beat Central African Republic).
For matchday 2, the top three seeds will all be playing away: 4 vs 1, 5 vs 2, 6 vs 3.
No idea honestly. It's very CAF.Jackson Harrison wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2023 10:55I know, why can't all 6 play 1 home and 1 away?
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Isn't this FIFA's making?amenina wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2023 11:28No idea honestly. It's very CAF.
The fixture lists are decided by the confederations themselves. For example, UEFA decide the fixture list of the European qualifiers.Jackson Harrison wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2023 12:12Isn't this FIFA's making?
Now, there is no requirement that each team has to play one home match and one away match in each window. For example, in the European qualifiers, the winter countries play two away matches in March and in November due to the cold weather.
After Leshoto, Zimbabwe also gets a point from Nigeria.
We have a candidate group for the favourite to fail here - big chance for South Africa.
We have a candidate group for the favourite to fail here - big chance for South Africa.
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Already they've dropped as the odds-on favorite for the group. And not great odds to make the playoff at this rate either
Group stage matchday 2 results, 19 November 2023
Report: https://www.cafonline.com/news/2026-wor ... geria-win/
Report: https://www.cafonline.com/news/2026-wor ... geria-win/
Last edited by amenina on Sun Nov 19, 2023 22:36, edited 1 time in total.
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Where do you get these stats? Do you have a link for the other groups?dopeisland wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2023 18:01
Already they've dropped as the odds-on favorite for the group. And not great odds to make the playoff at this rate either