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The CAF second round of the qualification tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, also known as the CAF play-offs, is contested by four teams from the CAF segment of qualifying. The best four runners-up from the CAF first round groups participated in the play-offs, with the winner advancing to the inter-confederation play-offs. The second round featured two single-leg semi-finals and will feature one single-leg final, with all matches played in Morocco from 13 to 16 November 2025.
Qualified teams[]
The four best runners-up from the first round advanced to the second round. Results against sixth-place teams were discounted due to the differing group sizes as a result of Eritrea's withdrawal.
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F |  Gabon
|
8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 19 | Second round |
| 2 | B |  DR Congo
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 16 | |
| 3 | D |  Cameroon
|
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 15 | |
| 4 | C |  Nigeria
|
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 15 | |
| 5 | A |  Burkina Faso
|
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 15 | |
| 6 | E |  Niger
|
8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 15 | |
| 7 | I |  Madagascar
|
8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 13 | |
| 8 | G |  Uganda
|
8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 12 | |
| 9 | H |  Namibia
|
8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 9 |
Format[]
Teams were seeded based on the FIFA Men's World Ranking of 17 October 2025, shown below in brackets, with the first and second teams playing the fourth and third teams, respectively, in a single-leg knockout round with the semi-finals on 13 November and the final on 16 November 2025. All matches will be played in Morocco. The winner of the final will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026.
If scores are level at the end of regulation, 30 minutes of extra time will be played, where each team will be allowed a sixth substitution. If the scores remain tied, a penalty shoot-out will be used to determine the winner.
| Semi-final 1 | Semi-final 2 |
|---|---|
Summary[]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-finals | ||
| Nigeria | 4–1 (aet) | Gabon |
| Cameroon | 0–1 | DR Congo |
| Final | ||
| Nigeria | 16 Nov | DR Congo |
Semi-finals[]
| 13 November 2025 17:00 UTC+1 |
Nigeria
|
4–1 (a.e.t.) |
Gabon
|
Moulay Hassan Stadium, Rabat Attendance: 2,500 Referee: Abongile Tom (South Africa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Adams  78'Ejuke 97'Osimhen 102', 109'
|
Report | M. Lemina 89'
|
| 13 November 2025 20:00 UTC+1 |
Cameroon
|
0–1 | DR Congo
|
Al Barid Stadium, Rabat Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Mahmood Ismail (Sudan) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Mbemba 90+1'
|
Final[]
The winner will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.
| 16 November 2025 20:00 UTC+1 |
Nigeria
|
v | DR Congo
|
Moulay Hassan Stadium, Rabat Referee: Jalal Jayed (Morocco) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report |
Goalscorers[]
There have been 6 goals scored in 2 matches, for an average of 3 goals per match (as of 13 November 2025). Players highlighted in bold are still active in the competition.
2 goals
1 goal
Discipline[]
A player is automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences:
- Receiving a red card (red card suspensions may be extended for serious offences)
- Receiving two yellow cards in two different qualifying matches (yellow card suspensions are not carried forward to the World Cup final tournament or any other future international matches)
The following suspensions will be served during the second round qualifying matches:
| Team | Player | Offence(s) | Suspended for match(es) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR Congo |
Meschak Elia |  vs Senegal (6 June 2024) vs Sudan (14 October 2025) |
vs Cameroon (13 November 2025) |
| Gabon |
Mick Onfia | vs Seychelles (3 September 2025) vs Burundi (14 October 2025) |
vs Nigeria (13 November 2025) |
| Nigeria |
Semi Ajayi | vs Lesotho (16 November 2023) vs Benin (14 October 2025) |
vs Gabon (13 November 2025) |
External links[]
- Official website
- Qualifiers – Africa, FIFA.com
| 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| AFC |
| First round · Second round · Third round · Fourth round · Fifth round (play-off) |
| CAF |
|
First round: (Group A · Group B · Group C · Group D · Group E · Group F · Group G · Group H · Group I) · Second round (play-offs) |
| CONCACAF |
| First round · Second round · Third round |
| CONMEBOL |
| Round Robin |
| OFC |
| First round · Second round · Third round |
| UEFA |
|
First round: (Group A · Group B · Group C · Group D · Group E · Group F · Group G · Group H · Group I · Group J · Group K · Group L) · Second round (play-offs) |
| Play-offs |
| Inter-confederation play-offs |