Morocco becomes first African team to qualify for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Morocco trounced 10-man Niger 5-0 in Rabat on Friday to win Group E and become the first African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Ismael Saibari scored twice in the first half after Abdul-Latif Goumey was sent off and second-half goals from Ayoub el Kaabi, Hamza Igamane and Azzedine Ounahi completed the rout, reports Sportstar.
A sixth straight victory lifted Morocco to an unassailable lead with 18 points – eight more than Tanzania – and sealed a seventh appearance at the global showpiece with two matches to spare.
Morocco was a shock semifinalist at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, topping a group including Croatia and Belgium and eliminating Spain and Portugal in the knockout phase.
The stunning run came to an end in the semifinals as it lost 2-0 to France.
In Group A, Egypt beat Ethiopia 2-0 in Cairo with Premier League stars Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush converting late first-half penalties.
Egypt can join Morocco at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico if it wins away to second-placed Burkina Faso on Tuesday.
Newcastle United signing Yoane Wissa was among the goals as the Democratic Republic of Congo hammered South Sudan 4-1 in Juba to stay top of Group B.
The Congolese are hoping to return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when the central African country was called Zaire.
Cedric Bakambu scored twice to help the visitors build a three-goal half-time advantage and Wissa added a fourth before Keer Majak claimed a consolation goal.
Senegal trails DR Congo by one point ahead of a top-of-the-table showdown in Kinshasa on Tuesday after beating Sudan 2-0 in Diamniadio through goals from Kalidou Koulibaly and Pape Matar Sarr.
South Africa maintained a five-point lead in Group C thanks to a comfortable 3-0 ‘away’ victory over neighbour Lesotho in Bloemfontein.
The home fixture for Lesotho was moved to the central South African city, 145 kilometres by road from the border, because the mountain kingdom does not have a FIFA-approved stadium.
Mohau Nkota, who quit famed Soweto club Orlando Pirates last month to join Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ettifaq, scored his first international goal for Bafana Bafana (the Boys) on 15 minutes.
Lyle Foster from Premier League returnees Burnley and Oswin Appollis netted within four minutes midway through the second half.
Victory did come at a cost for South Africa, though, with defenders Nyiko Mobbie and Thabo Moloisane retiring injured ahead of a key clash with Nigeria at the same venue on Tuesday.
South Africa has 16 points, five more than Benin, which edged Zimbabwe 1-0 in Abidjan through a Steve Mounie goal. Nigeria, nine points behind the leaders, host Rwanda on Saturday.
Clinical first-half finishing earned Gambia a surprise 3-1 win over Kenya in Nairobi with Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh scoring the second.
Serhou Guirassy, a prolific scorer for Borussia Dortmund with 38 goals in all competitions last season, bagged his first for Guinea in World Cup qualifying to set up a 3-0 win over Somalia.
But a disappointing campaign by Guinea – it lies fourth, eight points behind Group G leader Algeria – means Guirassy will almost certainly miss the World Cup.