World Cup
#DestinationMorocco: World Cup Play-off Shapes Up as AFCON Dress Rehearsal
By Kunle Solaja
The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup takes a dramatic turn next month as Morocco prepares to host a high-stakes four-nation CAF Play-off that could double as a dress rehearsal for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), also set to take place barely a month later in the same country.
Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, and Gabon — four of Africa’s traditional football powerhouses — will converge on Morocco from 10–18 November 2025 for one final showdown that could be tagged #DestinationMorocco.
At stake is the continent’s last qualification slot for the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
AFCON Warm-Up with a World Cup Prize
Interestingly, the quartet are all also qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which Morocco will host in December.
The CAF Play-off, therefore, presents a unique twist — a competitive preview of what may come when the same teams, possibly with overlapping line-ups, return to battle for continental supremacy at AFCON.
Football analysts have already dubbed the mini-tournament “Africa’s most loaded dress rehearsal,” as coaches will have an early opportunity to test tactics, formations, and fitness levels under Moroccan conditions — from the humid coastal cities to the cooler northern terrains that mirror likely AFCON match venues.
Four Nations, One Ticket
The format is straightforward but ruthless. Nigeria, the highest-ranked of the four teams, are projected to face Gabon in one semi-final, while Cameroon will meet DR Congo in the other. Winners will contest the final for Africa’s sixth and last slot at the World Cup.
The play-off champion will then advance to the Intercontinental Play-off Tournament scheduled for March 2026 in Mexico, where they’ll face teams from Asia, Oceania, South America, and North & Central America for one of two remaining global berths.
Nigeria’s Second Chance
For Nigeria’s Super Eagles, the play-off represents a long but vital second chance after narrowly missing direct qualification.
The team’s emphatic 4–0 win over Benin Republic in Uyo on Tuesday rekindled optimism, with captain William Troost-Ekong pledging that the Eagles would “give everything” to secure the ticket in Morocco.
Should Nigeria triumph in the play-off, they could enter the intercontinental phase as one of the seeded teams, courtesy of their superior FIFA ranking — a potential advantage against lower-ranked sides like Bolivia and New Caledonia.
Morocco — The Final Gateway
From Rabat to Marrakech, Morocco once again takes centre stage as Africa’s football hub — hosting two continental-defining tournaments in consecutive months. For fans, #DestinationMorocco is more than a slogan; it is the symbolic meeting point of Africa’s two grandest football journeys: one leading to North America, the other toward continental glory.
For the four contenders, the ultimate is to move from North Africa to North America.
As the countdown begins, anticipation grows. Four nations, one ticket — and perhaps, a foretaste of AFCON battles to come.
#DestinationMorocco — One Last Ticket. Four Contenders. A Continent Watching.
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Three of Africa’s heavyweight teams will have a second chance at World Cup qualification next month, keeping alive their hopes despite not winning their respective groups.
Cameroon, whose eight previous World Cup appearances are the most by an African nation, will be joined by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria in a playoff tournament in Morocco next month.
The quartet were the four best runners-up across the nine African groups where the winners gained automatic qualification.
They will play two semi-finals on November 13 and then a deciding match three days later with the winner advancing to the intercontinental playoff in March where the last two World Cup places will be decided.
The pairings for the African playoffs have the highest-ranked team in the FIFA rankings of October 23 play the lowest-ranked, and the other tie will have the second-highest taking on the third-highest.
The rankings are not expected to change much from the last issued on September 18 and so Nigeria (45) should play Gabon (79) while Cameroon (52) take on DR Congo (60).
Determining the four best runners-up was a complicated calculation as results against the last-placed team in the groups had to be expunged because one of the nine groups had five participants instead of six.
Up until the last day of qualifiers on Tuesday, the best four runners-up were still not settled with Nigeria only making sure of their place when they scored a fourth goal in their home rout of Benin. It meant Burkina Faso lost out by a single goal.
Nigeria, with six previous World Cup appearances, finished their qualifiers strongly despite a poor overall campaign and look the strongest of the sides in the playoffs, led by Victor Osimhen, who netted a hat-trick on Tuesday.
Cameroon have little of the lustre of previous years, with their government-appointed coach, Marc Brys, having an acrimonious relationship with the federation president, Samuel Eto’o.
DR Congo previously qualified over a half-century ago when the country was known as Zaire, but they were in the driving seat in their group until Senegal fought back from two goals down to beat them 3-2 in Kinshasa last month and take over top place in Group B.
-Reuters
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Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has assured Nigerians that the team will give their very best in next month’s CAF Play-Off Tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be staged in Morocco.
Speaking on Wednesday morning, the defender said the squad remains upbeat after their emphatic 4–0 victory over Benin Republic in Uyo on Tuesday — a result that secured Nigeria’s passage to the CAF play-offs, the final qualifying stage before the intercontinental series in Mexico next March.
“We are quite happy to have that opportunity. It’s a long route, but it’s a route nonetheless,” Troost-Ekong said.
“We would have loved to get the automatic ticket, but it didn’t happen, and we take what we have. For us, we will remain strong, tough, and ready to confront every challenge on our way as we search for the ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
Reflecting on the team’s performance, the captain praised the unity and determination that defined Tuesday’s win.
“It was a wonderful team effort. Everyone contributed; each person played their part. If the other match had gone in our favour, we would already have the automatic ticket. But that’s life — you take what you get and make the best of it,” he added.
On a night of redemption in Uyo, Victor Osimhen stole the spotlight with a stunning hat-trick, while substitute Frank Onyeka sealed the rout with a late strike in the 90th minute.
The win, however, was not enough to secure automatic qualification, as Rwanda’s Amavubi fell apart against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in Nelspruit — a painful déjà vu for Nigerian fans.
The scenario echoed the events of November 2005, when Rwanda’s late capitulation at home to Angola denied Nigeria a place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, despite the Super Eagles’ 5–1 demolition of Zimbabwe in Abuja.
In the upcoming CAF Play-Offs, Nigeria will face Gabon’s Palancas Negras in the first semi-final on Thursday, 13 November, while Cameroon will square off against DR Congo in the second semi-final on Friday, 14 November. The winners will meet in the final on Sunday, 16 November, with the ultimate victor advancing to the intercontinental play-offs in Mexico next March.
The global play-off tournament will feature six teams — Africa’s representative, Bolivia, New Caledonia, the Asian play-off winner between Iraq and the UAE, and two of Jamaica, Costa Rica, or Panama — all vying for two remaining World Cup spots.
Troost-Ekong concluded with optimism, saying the Super Eagles are determined to make Nigeria proud:
“We’ve come too far to stop now. The dream is alive, and we’ll fight to be at the 2026 World Cup.”
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are still alive—but the Super Eagles must now navigate a four-match route through both the African and Intercontinental play-offs. The process will last five months.
After missing out on direct qualification from their 10-match group series, Nigeria will now feature in the CAF Play-off scheduled for 10–18 November 2025 in Morocco.
According to the projected draw, four teams—Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and DR Congo— will compete in a straight knockout format. Based on the current FIFA rankings, the Super Eagles will be designated Team A and will face Gabon in the semi-finals, while Cameroon meet DR Congo in the other fixture.
Winners of both matches will advance to the final to determine Africa’s representative for the Intercontinental Play-off. The CAF Play-off champion will have played two matches—semi-final and final—to book the continental ticket.
That winner will then join five other teams—one each from Asia (AFC), South America (CONMEBOL), Oceania (OFC), and two from North & Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF)—in the Intercontinental Play-off scheduled for March 23–31, 2026, in the United States.
Among the teams already confirmed are Bolivia (CONMEBOL’s seventh-placed side) and New Caledonia, runners-up in Oceania. The Asian, CONCACAF, and African representatives will be decided next month.
The six teams will be seeded according to the FIFA World Ranking, with the two highest-ranked earning byes to the final round. The remaining four will contest two semi-finals, and the winners will then face the seeded teams. The two victorious nations from those matches will claim the final World Cup slots.
By the current FIFA ranking, Nigeria (45), if qualified for the intercontinental play-off, stands a higher position than Bolivia (77) and New Caledonia (150) and could be one of the two to be seeded.
The two matches at the CAF play-off and good running at the December-January Africa Cup of Nations could substantially improve the Super Eagles’ ranking ahead of the intercontinental play-off in March next year.
For Nigeria, the qualification pathway is clear but steep:
- Win the CAF Play-off in Morocco (two matches: semi-final and final)
- Advance to the Intercontinental Play-off in March 2026
- Defeat one or two opponents from other confederations (depending on seeding)
- Secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States
Key Dates
- CAF Play-off: November 10–18, 2025 (Morocco)
- Intercontinental Play-off: March 23–31, 2026 (United States)
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