Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal Seal Final African Tickets To 2026 FIFA World Cup
2 min read
By Sedara Philip
Africa’s final two automatic tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been claimed by Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, following decisive victories in their respective qualifying fixtures on Tuesday.
According to BBC Sport, Senegal produced a commanding 4–0 win over Mauritania in Dakar to top Group B and confirm their place at next year’s global showpiece.
A sublime Sadio Mané free-kick broke the deadlock just before half-time, before the former Liverpool star doubled his tally early in the second period. Iliman Ndiaye then dazzled with a solo goal, while Habib Diallo sealed the rout late on.
The Teranga Lions finished two points clear of DR Congo, who themselves edged Sudan 1–0 courtesy of Theo Bongonda’s first-half strike.
Meanwhile, in Group F, African champions Côte d’Ivoire continued their dominant form with a comfortable 3–0 win over Kenya in Abidjan. Franck Kessié opened the scoring early, before 18-year-old sensation Yan Diomande doubled the advantage after the break. Amad Diallo, of Manchester United, put the result beyond doubt with a stunning free-kick.
That victory ensured the Elephants finished one point ahead of Gabon, who defeated Burundi 2–0 in Franceville thanks to late goals from Bryan Meyo and Mario Lemina.
Remarkably, Côte d’Ivoire completed their 10-match qualifying campaign without conceding a single goal, joining Tunisia as the only African nation to achieve that defensive milestone.
With their victories, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire join Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, and South Africa as Africa’s nine automatic qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Africa’s final representative will emerge from next month’s continental play-offs, featuring the four best-ranked runners-up — Cameroon, DR Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria. The winner will advance to the inter-confederation play-off in March 2026, where one last ticket to the expanded 48-team tournament will be up for grabs.
