Sports

FULL FIXTURES: Egypt, Sudan, Morocco Lead As African World Cup Race Intensifies

Published

9 months ago

March 17, 2025

As the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup intensifies, African teams are gearing up for the crucial matchdays 5 and 6 of the qualifiers, set to kick off on Wednesday, March 19.

With nine group winners guaranteed automatic qualification for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and four best runners-up vying for a playoff spot, every match is set to be decisive.

Group A: Egypt in Command

Egypt leads Group A with 10 points from four matches, ahead of Guinea-Bissau, who have six points. Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone trail closely with five points each, while Ethiopia (3 points) and Djibouti (1 point) remain at the bottom. Egypt, the most successful African team in World Cup history, will look to extend their lead when they face Ethiopia on March 21.

Group B: Tight Race Between Sudan and Senegal

Sudan currently tops Group B with 10 points, followed closely by Senegal (8 points) and DR Congo (7 points). With a crucial fixture against reigning African champions Senegal on March 22, Sudan’s head coach remains optimistic. “We have worked hard to reach this point. Every match is like a final now,” he said. Meanwhile, Senegal’s head coach Aliou Cissé is confident his team will fight to reclaim the top spot.

Group C: Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin Tied on Points

Group C remains wide open with Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin all sitting on seven points. Nigeria, a team many expected to dominate, languishes in fifth place with just three points from four matches. Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro admitted his team’s struggles. “We need to be better. The players know the importance of these next games,” he said. Nigeria will face Rwanda on March 21 in a must-win encounter.

Group D: Cameroon, Libya, and Cape Verde in Close Battle

Cameroon leads Group D with eight points, but Libya and Cape Verde are just one point behind. Angola (6 points) also remains in contention. The Indomitable Lions face Eswatini on March 19 and will then take on Libya on March 25 in a crucial fixture that could decide the group’s fate.

Group E: Morocco Leads Despite Off-Field Disruptions

Morocco tops Group E with a perfect record of nine points from three games, despite the withdrawal of Eritrea and the suspension of Congo due to government interference. The impact of these developments on qualification rankings remains uncertain. Morocco’s next game is against Niger on March 21.

Group F: Ivory Coast Ahead, Gabon Close Behind

Ivory Coast leads Group F with 10 points, closely followed by Gabon (9 points). Burundi (7 points) and Kenya (5 points) remain within reach. The Elephants will take on Burundi on March 21 before facing Gambia on March 24.

Group G: Algeria and Mozambique Neck-and-Neck

Algeria and Mozambique are tied at the top with nine points each, while Botswana, Guinea, and Uganda all have six points. Algeria’s upcoming match against Botswana on March 21 could prove decisive.

Group H: Tunisia Eyes Qualification

Tunisia remains undefeated in Group H with 10 points, leading Namibia (8 points) and Liberia (7 points). Tunisia will face Liberia on March 19 before a crucial clash against Malawi on March 24. “We are taking nothing for granted. Every match is important,” Tunisian head coach Jalel Kadri stated.

Group I: Comoros and Ghana in Strong Positions

Comoros and Ghana both sit on nine points in Group I, with Madagascar (7 points) and Mali (5 points) following closely. Ghana’s next fixture against Chad on March 21 is expected to be a key moment in their qualification campaign.

Best-Ranked Second-Placed Teams

With only four runner-up teams advancing to a mini-tournament for intercontinental play-offs, Ghana, Gabon, Mozambique, and Senegal currently hold the top spots. Namibia and South Africa remain in contention, hoping for favourable results in the coming games.

Upcoming Fixtures

World Cup matchdays 5 and 6 qualifying fixtures in Africa (times GMT):

Matchday 5

March 19, Wednesday

Group D: Eswatini v Cameroon; Group H: Liberia v Tunisia; Group I: Central African Republic v Madagascar (all 1600)

March 20, Thursday

Group A: Sierra Leone v Guinea-Bissau (1600); Group C: Zimbabwe v Benin (1600); Group D: Cape Verde v Mauritius (1600), Libya v Angola (1900); Group F: Gabon v Seychelles, Gambia v Kenya (both 1900); Group G: Mozambique v Uganda (1300); Group H: Malawi v Namibia (1600); Group I: Comoros v Mali (2100)

March 21, Friday

Group A: Burkina Faso v Djibouti (1600), Ethiopia v Egypt (2100); Group B: Democratic Republic of Congo v South Sudan (1600); Group C: South Africa v Lesotho (1600), Rwanda v Nigeria (1600); Group E: Niger v Morocco (2130); Group F: Burundi v Ivory Coast (1900); Group G: Botswana v Algeria (1300), Guinea v Somalia (2100); Group H: Equatorial Guinea v Sao Tome e Principe (1300); Group I: Ghana v Chad (1900)

March 22, Saturday

Group B: Togo v Mauritania (1600), Sudan v Senegal (1900)

Matchday 6

March 23, Sunday

Group D: Eswatini v Mauritius; Group F: Kenya v Gabon (both 1300)

March 24, Monday

Group A: Guinea-Bissau v Burkina Faso (1600), Ethiopia v Djibouti (2100); Group F: Ivory Coast v Gambia (1900); Group H: Namibia v Equatorial Guinea (1300), Liberia v Sao Tome e Principe (1600), Tunisia v Malawi (2100); Group I: Central African Republic v Mali (1600), Madagascar v Ghana (1900)

March 25, Tuesday

Group A: Egypt v Sierra Leone (1900); Group B: Sudan v South Sudan (1900), Mauritania v Democratic Republic of Congo (2100); Senegal v Togo (2100); Group C: Benin v South Africa, Nigeria v Zimbabwe, Rwanda v Lesotho (all 1600); Group D: Angola v Cape Verde (1600), Cameroon v Libya (1900); Group E: Morocco v Tanzania (2130); Group F: Burundi v Seychelles (1900); Group G: Botswana v Somalia (1300), Uganda v Guinea (1600), Algeria v Mozambique (2100); Group I: Comoros v Chad (2100).

Sports

Court Fixes Date To Hear Sala Compensation Dispute

Published

3 days ago

December 9, 2025

Editor

A commercial court examining the long-running dispute between Cardiff City and French club Nantes over compensation for the death of Emiliano Sala in a plane crash said Monday it would give its decision on March 30 next year.

Sala, a 28-year-old Argentine striker, died when the light aircraft taking him to the Welsh capital came down in the English Channel on January 21, 2019, two days after he had signed for the then-Premier League side. He and pilot David Ibbotson were killed.

The Welsh club took the case to the Nantes commercial court in 2023 to claim compensation for loss of income and other damages suffered by the club as a result of the player’s death.

Following an analysis conducted by an expert appointed by Cardiff City, the club estimated their losses at over 120 million euros ($139.5 million). Lawyers for both clubs made their cases at Monday’s hearing.

The Welsh club argue that Nantes, through their intermediary, agent Willie McKay, were the organisers of the private flight on which the footballer was travelling and that, if the transfer was effective at the time of the accident according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it is the organisation of this flight that is at issue.

Cardiff City’s lawyer, Olivier Loizon, told the court Monday, Willie McKay “could not have been unaware of the illegality of the flight”, and argued that the agent had acted with “negligence”.

“Whatever the ultimate cause of the accident, (Sala) should not have been on the flight,” he added.

Nantes’ lawyer, Jerome Marsaudon, insisted Monday the only agent authorised by the club in connection with the transfer was Mark McKay, the son of Willie McKay.

The elder McKay “was simply helping his son, given his extensive experience”, the lawyer said.

“It is sad to see that Cardiff have exploited this tragedy and turned it into a genuine legal farce,” he added. “Nothing in this case justifies holding FC Nantes liable.”

Prior to the start of the hearing, a Nantes representative said the club “have no doubt that Cardiff’s claims will be rejected outright, just like all the others”.

In another case related to the dispute between the two clubs, CAS ruled in 2022 that Sala’s transfer had definitely been finalised at the time of his death.

In 2023, world football’s governing body FIFA ordered Cardiff to pay Nantes the balance of Sala’s transfer fee, which at the time amounted to just over 11 million euros out of a total of 17 million euros.

Sports

Salah A ‘Disgrace’ For Liverpool Outburst – Carragher

Published

3 days ago

December 9, 2025

Editor

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher labelled Mohamed Salah “a disgrace” on Monday after the Egypt star’s stunning outburst at Reds boss Arne Slot.

Salah said he had been “thrown under a bus” and had no relationship with Slot after he was left on the bench for last Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Leeds.

It was the third successive game that Salah had been kept out of the starting line-up by Slot amid the forward’s loss of form this season.

In response to Salah’s astonishing rant to reporters, Liverpool axed the 33-year-old from the squad for Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Inter Milan.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Carragher, a 2005 Champions League winner with Liverpool, said: “I thought it was a disgrace what he did after the game.

“Some people have painted it as an emotional outburst. I don’t think it was. I think whenever Mo Salah stops in a mixed zone, which he has done four times in eight years at Liverpool, it’s choreographed with his agent to cause maximum damage and strengthen his own position.

“He’s chosen this weekend to do this now, and he’s waited I think for a bad result… everyone involved with the club (feeling) like they’re in the gutter, and he’s chosen that time to go for the manager and maybe try to get him sacked.”

Salah is a two-time Premier League champion with Liverpool and has also won the Champions League during his iconic eight-year spell at Anfield.

But, although he only signed a new contract in April, Salah hinted he might have played his last game for Liverpool as he prepares to jet off to the African Cup of Nations after their Premier League clash with Brighton at Anfield on Saturday.

Salah has been linked with a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League and and Carragher added: “What he’s done off the pitch, I think the club have made the right decision in terms of him not going abroad. Whether he will play for Liverpool again, I don’t know.

“I hope he does, because he’s one of the greatest players we’ve ever had, but if you continue like that, and statements like that, if he doesn’t play, who knows.”

Sports

JUST IN: Full Draw For 2026 World Cup Group Stages Confirmed

Published

6 days ago

December 5, 2025

Editor

The draw for the group stage of the 2026 World Cup has been conducted.

It took place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with US President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino in charge.

There will be 48 teams at next year’s tournament, to be played across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

All the participating countries were grouped into 12 groups of four.

Here is the full draw:

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Winner Play-off D
Group B: Canada, Winner Play-off A, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Winner Play-off C
Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Winner Play-off B, Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, Winner Play-off 2, Norway
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Winner Play-off 1, Colombia, Uzbekistan
Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana