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As the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup participate their last rounds, the contention among countries for tickets to North America is becoming much aggravated and unpredictable.
While immoderate teams are cruising comfortably astatine the apical of their groups, a fewer of the continent’s shot heavyweights are walking a good enactment betwixt qualification and disappointment.
Here are 5 of Africa’s apical shot countries whose hopes of making it to the 2026 World Cup bent successful the balance:
1. Algeria
Algeria find themselves successful a tricky concern contempt their beardown start. If the Desert Foxes driblet immoderate points against Somalia and past suffer to Uganda successful their last qualifying fixture, they hazard surrendering the apical spot successful their radical to Uganda. With specified constrictive margins, Algeria indispensable enactment composed and cod maximum points successful their remaining matches to debar a daze elimination.
2. Ghana
Ghana’s roadworthy to the World Cup remains unfastened but precarious. The Black Stars indispensable debar dropping each 3 maximum points successful their adjacent 2 games. To unafraid the apical spot and suffice directly, they request to triumph astatine slightest 1 lucifer and gully the other. Any slip-up could spot them overtaken by rivals who are waiting to capitalize connected their mistakes.
3. Ivory Coast
The Elephants are besides walking a tightrope with conscionable 2 games near to play. Gabon are blistery connected their heels and could leapfrog them with the slightest misstep. Ivory Coast indispensable assertion maximum points from their remaining fixtures to steer wide of the conflict for the champion second-placed teams — a risky way for immoderate apical side.
4. Cameroon
Cameroon’s qualification hopes are fading fast. Sitting 4 points down Cape Verde, the Indomitable Lions person precise small country for error. One much triumph for Cape Verde successful the adjacent circular could each but extremity Cameroon’s World Cup dreams — a large setback for 1 of Africa’s astir accordant qualifiers. Rigobert Song’s men present request thing abbreviated of perfection to enactment live successful the race.
5. Nigeria
Nigeria’s run has been 1 of the astir nerve-racking successful caller memory. The Super Eagles, who person featured successful six of the past 7 World Cups, are successful superior information of missing retired connected the 2026 edition. With conscionable 11 points from 8 games, they beryllium down South Africa, who were precocious deducted 3 points aft fielding an ineligible subordinate during their campaign.
Nigeria request to triumph their adjacent 2 games against Lesotho and Benin to basal a accidental — and anticipation South Africa driblet points successful their upcoming fixtures.
Anything little could spot them clang retired of contention. The Super Eagles’ qualification present depends not lone connected their show but besides connected results elsewhere, making this 1 of the astir tense campaigns successful their history.
The station 5 ‘top’ African countries successful information of missing the 2026 FIFA World Cup appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.
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