The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed Morocco as host for Africa’s four-team World Cup playoffs in November, Afrosport reports.
The mini-tournament offers one African team the chance of an additional spot at the 2026 finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, next summer.
The winners of the nine African qualifying groups will automatically advance to the tournament. However, there remains a route for one of the best runners-up to also book a ticket.
Four of the highest-ranked second-placed teams will contest a mini play-off in Morocco next month, with the winner going on to face teams from other continents in a final intercontinental play-off in March 2026 for a place at the 48-team World Cup.
The African playoff will feature two semi-finals on 13 November and a final on 16 November, with venues yet to be confirmed. The pairings will be based on FIFA’s updated rankings, set to be released on 23 October — the highest-ranked team will face the lowest, while the second and third-ranked sides will meet in the other tie.
The final four teams will be confirmed once the group fixtures end on Tuesday.
Morocco is also set to host the Africa Cup of Nations from 21 December to 18 January, and will co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Spain.
The North African powerhouse will also host the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for the third Straight edition, as well as the U-17 Women’s World Cup, which kicks off on Friday, 17 October.
The race for Africa’s World Cup spots is heating up
So far, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and Ghana have sealed qualification for the World Cup, while four automatic spots remain up for grabs. Cape Verde could secure theirs with a win on Monday, and both Ivory Coast and Senegal can qualify on Tuesday if they also triumph.
Group C remains wide open, with Benin, Nigeria and South Africa all still in contention heading into their final fixtures on Tuesday.
