As Africa’s qualifying rate rises, Egypt and Morocco may purchase tickets for the 2026 Fifa World Cup during the international window this month (3-9 September).
Four rounds of preliminary rounds are still open after an extended campaign that started in November 2023 and ends in October.
Only the nine group winners will be able to advance to the finals in 2017, with the four runners-up going into November’s play-offs for a second chance to qualify via an intercontinental route.
Depending on outcomes, a number of other countries could play alongside the Pharaohs and the Atlas Lions to travel to the United States, Mexico, and Canada with two games left.
Nigeria is in danger of losing out to the United States in an early elimination race, while Cape Verde, Comoros, and Sudan, which has been devastated by civil war, are still searching for historical credentials.
Egypt in charge of Group A.
Burkinabe and Egypt currently lead Burkinabe by five points, but the West Africans are confident that Mohamed Salah and company will prevail on Tuesday.
Before that, the Stallions take on Djibouti and Ethiopia are welcomed by North Africans.
Trio of Group B in contention
African Football Confederation
With West Africans and Sudanese still unbeaten, they square off against one another in a three-way battle for the top spot between the leaders of DR Congo, Senegal, and Sudan.
The Teranga Lions host Sudan on Friday at 5:00 GMT, followed by Kinshasa on Tuesday, where they will face the Congolese. This could be one of the most memorable two games.
If South Sudan wins the game away on Friday and then their two closest rivals draw, the Leopards could increase their lead at the summit to three points.
Too close to call, Group C
BBC Sport
Although Group C comes with a caveat, South Africa is five points clear of Nigeria, which is currently languishing a further two points behind them.
If Bafana Bafana fielded an ineligible player in their March victory over Lesotho, the group would be left wide open if the world’s governing body Fifa decided to ignore that fact.
In that case, Nigeria must win the World Cup finals in its entirety or it will miss subsequent years.
The Super Eagles host Rwanda on Saturday at 16:00 GMT, before heading to Bloemfontein on Tuesday for a crucial meeting with South Africa.
Indomitable Lions are the primary goal of Group D – Blue Sharks.
Images courtesy of Getty
With the two countries meeting in Praia on Tuesday, Cape Verde is one point ahead of Cameroon, which means there will be more surprises.
The Indomitable Lions have represented Africa at eight World Cup appearances, which is the most of any team, but they may need the most points from their game to keep that record.
The islanders travel to Mauritius before an away game against Eswatini.
Atlas Lions cruise in Group E.
Morocco will become the continent’s first qualifier for the 2026 finals after becoming the first African nation to reach the Qatar 2022 semi-finals.
The Atlas Lions would earn their third point later in the same game against Niger if closest rivals Tanzania didn’t win away against Congo-Brazzaville on Friday.
Even if Tanzania, who are six points adrift of the North Africans, wins, Morocco could receive the points they need from their Monday trip to Zambia.
Group F: Two-way tussle
Images courtesy of Getty
The Elephants, who are still unbeaten and haven’t conceded a goal, are currently tied at one point with Ivory Coast.
With a victory over Seychelles on Wednesday (13:00 GMT), the Gabonese will surpass the continent’s current champions, who will host Burundi two days later.
The decisive matchup will be between Gabon and Franceville on Tuesday.
Algeria in its home stretch of Group G
Algeria leads Mozambique by three points, but the north Africans have a far greater goal difference than the rest of their group.
Les Verts travel to Guinea on Monday before taking on third-place Botswana on Thursday.
Carthage Eagles lead Group H.
Images courtesy of Getty
Namibia and Tunisia both have points, both of which are unbeaten and have yet to concede.
After a home game against Liberia and a trip to Equatorial Guinea, the North Africans may not be visible until October when those two teams meet.
Namibia, which has already defeated Sao Tome and Principe, must still earn the most points in their away matches against Malawi in order to maintain its composure.
If the Equatoguineans succeed in challenging Fifa’s decision to impose two forfeits following their initial 1:0 victories over Namibia and Liberia, all of that may change.
The striker, who had spent his entire career with the National Thunder, was declared ineligible in a remarkable case, and he has since returned to play for the national side after winning an appeal.
Group I – Comoros and Mali pursuing Black Stars
Images courtesy of Getty
After taking a three-point lead in their first game of the month, Ghana are now in good shape and will face Chad, who they have already defeated.
After a slow start to their campaign, the Comoros are the closest to the Black Stars, with Mali, who is in the top seeds, in the final chance saloon.
On Thursday, the Eagles host the islanders from the Indian Ocean, followed by a West African derby in Accra on Monday.
In response to ongoing nationwide protests against government spending and the burgeoning fury following the death of a motorcycle taxi driver after being hit by a police car, Indonesian police said, according to student groups and authorities.
More than 140 kilometers (86 miles) west of Jakarta, authorities used tear gas to cover the campuses of Pasundan University and the Islamic University of Bandung (UNISBA).
Authorities used rubber bullets and tear gas canisters from outside the campus gates, according to Muhammad Ilham, a student from Pasunda, according to the Reuters news agency.
A student was struck by a rubber bullet in two shots, he claimed.
According to Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, at least eight people have died as a result of the protests since last week.
Authorities attempted to disperse crowds of non-student protesters who had been requesting protection on university grounds on Tuesday, according to police official Hendra Rochmawan.
Harits Nu’man, the rector of UNISBA, confirmed that the campus had been a medical hub for protesters and echoed the police’s statement.
The UNISBA student body, however, claimed that security forces “brutally attacked” the campus because tear gas made some students’ breathing difficulties.
Unrest in large numbers
According to Al Jazeera’s Jessica Washington, a group of motorbike taxi drivers in central Jakarta were gathered to pay tribute to the 21-year-old driver who died after being hit by an armored police car during the demonstrations.
“There are a lot of them,” They claim that they can call for their various demands, including economic inequality, and do it peacefully, in order to demonstrate the power of peaceful assembly so they can honor their colleague,” according to Washington.
She continued, noting that many Indonesian civil society organizations are “raising the alarm” about a Jakarta police officer’s arrest late last night.
A coalition of women’s groups is planning additional protests on Tuesday outside Jakarta’s parliament.
At least 20 protesters have vanished since the demonstrations started last week as rage increased as a result of widespread overspending by lawmakers and police, according to the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS).
The group claimed that 20 people had been reported missing in Central Jakarta, East Jakarta, and North Jakarta, as well as in the cities of Bandung and Depok on Java Island.
Students at universities have long been regarded as the face of Indonesia’s democracy because they participated actively in the 1998 uprisings that helped to overthrow President Soeharto.
The first significant test of his leadership will be facing current president Prabowo Subianto, a military leader under Soeharto. According to a statement from his office, he met labor unions and told lawmakers to discuss labor laws, some of whom joined the protest last week.
Olivia Attwood, a Love Island and Loose Women fan, and husband Bradley Dack tied the knot in June 2023, but the football star left her heartbroken before their big day.
Olivia is married to Bradley Dack(Image: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Olivia Attwood married her longterm boyfriend Bradley Dack in June 2023 after a tumultuous romance which led Olivia to go on Love Island in a bid to find a new man after being left heartbroken by football ace Bradley.
The Loose Women star, 34, has been with her husband Bradley, 31, on and off, since the pair first met in 2015 and started dating shortly after. Despite a rocky start to their romance, with Olivia actually leaving the UK to head to the iconic Love Island villa where she fell head over heels for Chris Hughes, the blonde bombshell soon realised that Bradley was the only man for her.
After dating Celebrity Big Brother Chris, 32, for seven months after her stint on Love Island back in 2017, Olivia split up with her fellow islander and eventually made her way back to Bradley in early 2018.
The couple kept their relationship under wraps for several months after deciding to give thing another go, but when the time was right, Olivia announced that she and Bradley were back on and just a year later, the pair got engaged in 2019.
READ MORE: Olivia Attwood downplays her Ibiza antics as fans fear for marriage with Bradley DackREAD MORE: Olivia Attwood looks downcast during hostile chat with Pete Wicks after cosy Ibiza snaps
Trouble in paradise, please?
Four years after getting engaged, Olivia tied the knot with her dream man Bradley in a stunning ceremony surrounded by friends and family and the wedding was a central event in her reality show titled Olivia Marries Her Match.
While their marriage appears to have gone from strength to strength since then, Olivia has recently sparked concern about her relationship with Bradley after she was pictured without her wedding ring after a party-filled getaway in Ibiza with close friend and podcast regular Pete Wicks, 37.
Olivia and his pals Olivia and the ex-tower star Pete were seen taking a yacht trip to Ibiza where they were seen leaning close to one another while enjoying the sun on the luxurious boat. Pete appeared to have his arms draped around Olivia as she leaned on top of him.
Pete pictures have made Bradley furious.
Olivia and Pete recently took a trip to Ibiza(Image: Instagram/olivia_attwood)
Following the release of the pictures, Olivia’s husband Bradley is reportedly absolutely ‘ furious ‘ about her Ibiza getaway with friend Pete.
Bradley, 31, Olivia’s footballer husband, was ‘livid’, according to insiders after his teammates posted the photos on Gillingham FC’s WhatsApp group. While he was away for the team’s recent game, the football ace reportedly made fun of her trip.
Bradley’s teammates reportedly “couldn’t resist winding him up”, with the source claiming: “Bradley’s tried to laugh it off, but inside he’s fuming about it.” Reports claimed that Olivia was ‘in the doghouse’ with Bradley after the pictures of herself and Pete partying at Ocean Beach and later on a yacht emerged.
Olivia and her husband’s husband’s alleged agreement regarding her drinking habits, according to an insider. However, the latest pictures of her and Pete have left Bradley ‘ fuming’.
Pete and Olivia have been friends for years (Image: Getty Images)
“Olivia will never change, she’s a party girl at heart and has been working so hard this year, she needed some time to blow off steam. The issue now is her public flaunting of her flirty ways. She has a very public profile now so for Bradley her wild partying in Ibiza did irritate and anger him,” the source told Mail Online.
“Liv is completely accepting and accepting who she is, flaws and all,” he exclaimed. Nothing is going on between Liv and Pete, they are friends and it’s completely ridiculous to say otherwise. Bradley and Olivia are happily married.
Another insider told The Mirror there was no drama on Saturday. “There is no issue between Olivia and Bradley”, they insisted.
Bradley’s bombshell statement
Bradley made a powerful argument about their union’s status. In recent days, fans of the former Love Island star have been concerned about her marriage.
After the pictures surfaced, Bradley has been seen, and it is obvious he has made a strong statement about their future marriage. Bradley was still sporting his golden wedding band as he took to the stage with his teammates to meet fans as he took to the stands with a brave face.
However, Olivia was seen without her own wedding band as she arrived at her workplace on Sunday.
Olivia frequently rashes her ring, a source close to her claims, but this time she had a valid reason for doing so: she had it cleaned after being covered in suncream while enjoying her “feral” time in Ibiza.
Olivia responds with a retort
Olivia hit back at claims there was trouble brewing in her marriage(Image: @bradleydack1/instagram)
Olivia has also addressed the controversy at the center of which she finds herself. One fan wrote, “I’m afraid for your marriage,” on her Instagram account. But Olivia, known for not holding back instantly responded: “Don’t be. Concern your own; worry about it.
Olivia admitted she had been a “bad girlfriend” to her husband, Bradley, three weeks before the drama. While promoting her new show, Bad Boyfriends, she said she “could be on Bad Wives”.
I had the upper hand over our relationship for ages. She stated to the press, “He’s coming for my throne, and I carried him on my back for a long time. In his early days he was doing his football and he was always out. And now he needs to assist me more because I’m the one who is filming seven days per week. Because I work, I miss my football games. I’m evil.
He replies, “You save all your nice personality for work, and then you come in and say, “Where’s my dinner?” ” “
Olivia admits her marriage is ‘ far from perfect ‘
Olivia has also stated that their marriage is not ideal. Olivia stated in a statement to the Mirror, “Brad and I do have a lovely relationship. But also, I’m not perfect, he’s not perfect, it’s not the perfect relationship. However, the relationship is excellent.
“Everyone learns that,” the saying goes. There is no such thing as perfect. You’ll find someone with a new set of issues if you leave someone because of a particular set of problems.
Cheating nightmare
Chris dated Olivia for a year after Love Island(Image: Getty Images)
Olivia dumped Bradley before the two got married and started dating again when she discovered that the football star had cheated on her. She snogged and “bits” with men in front of the nation in an attempt to avenge her ex by joining Love Island in an effort to avenge him.
Olivia has confirmed several times that her motivation to go on the show was derived from making Bradley jealous and making him regret cheating on her.
Olivia said, “Anyone who has been cheated on knows it’s just the most horrible thing.” Although we were dating at the time, Brad and I hadn’t met each other’s families. I was deeply shocked”.
Explaining the situation, the former ring girl revealed it was before her scheduled appearance at the 2017 Formula 1 Grand Prix when everything came to light. Olivia got a phone call from a blocked number, only to hear the voice of someone claiming to be Bradley’s girlfriend.
Chilling phone call
Olivia dumped Bradley when she discovered he cheated(Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
Olivia told Mail Online, “I’ll remember that phone call for the rest of my life because it was so traumatic, chilling almost because you’re having an out-of-body experience.”
“When you hear that, your brain starts to try to put it all together, thinking”, How? Exactly where? Whenever ? “Your mind just starts going into overdrive. Everyone was kind of drooling over me the following day as I entered the F1 track, and I looked absolutely gorgeous there.
“But inside I wanted to cry because I was feeling so ugly,” I kept asking, “Why do I keep getting cheated on?” I can’t even get a guy to keep it in his pants. It was awful to feel. But it made me realize that I couldn’t afford to miss out on the chance to visit Love Island once more. Luckily, they still wanted me. “
Reunion of Rocky
Olivia made the decision to permanently end her relationship with Bradley after receiving the call. She then went on Love Island and met Chris, but their romance wasn’t meant to last.
Olivia made the decision to try it with her ex-boyfriend after discovering she still loved Bradley. It started off very shaky, though.
Olivia candidly revealed her reunion with Bradley post Love-Island ‘ was rocky’. She continued, “I try to be honest because people assume that after Love Island, he and I just got back together, and there you have a fairy tale.” However, it wasn’t.
“The first six months of dating were pretty shaky because we both had our guard up. He was playing for a new football club, and I was trying to figure out how to get away from Love Island. We were rekindling our friendship.
“It depends how motivated you are. Talk is cheap, but you must demonstrate commitment. We would have building blocks, then we would experience gradual setbacks, and finally we would have a foundation.
Who earns more in the marriage?
Olivia and Bradley are both incredibly successful(Image: Daily Mirror)
Since coming third in Love Island in 2017, Olivia has been busy making money by fronting a string of ITV series, including Getting Filthy Rich, The Price Of Perfection, and Bad Boyfriends, for which she has reportedly been paid £350k each.
The TV star also receives several thousand per appearance as a Loose Women panellist whenever she appears on the ITV daytime show.
Her new Sunday-afternoon Kiss radio show, The Sunday Roast with TOWIE’s Pete Wicks, is also believed to be paying an eye-watering six figures per year and it has recently seen a huge surge in people tuning in.
Olivia also has a £150k collaboration with Abbott Lyon jewellery and has just signed another six-figure deal to become a face of make-up brand Maybelline.
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Meanwhile, it has been reported that Bradley earns £4,500 per week and £234,000 per year playing for Gillingham as a AM C. His net worth is reportedly said to be £5,174,000.
The YouTuber was quickly congratulated by fans, but they had a concern.
The Sidemen fans have shared their concern after one of the YouTube group announced a major career update.
JJ, also known by his online alias of KSI has been confirmed as full-time judge on the next upcoming series of Britain’s Got Talent.
The Youtuber, who is also known in the worlds of music and boxing, previously made a number of cameo appearances on the show. In fact, his golden buzzer selection, Harry Moulding, went on to win the previous series outright.
KSI will be hoping to learn how to recognize true talent again. In true Sidemen fashion, he made the announcement on his social media account.
He is spotted walking through the streets and pressing his BGT red buzzer at anything that offends him in a video. That includes street performers, a barista who doesn’t stock his Prime drink, and a Tottenham Hotspur supporter (he supports Arsenal).
KSI will now be a constant feature on BGT.
He wakes up from this bizarre dream and admits that he misses ‘doing BGT ‘. He then calls Simon Cowell to tell him he needs to come back to the show and the pop mogul invites him back full-time for 2026.
The decision to make KSI’s role a permanent one comes after former judge and Strictly star Bruno Tonioli confirmed his departure from the series. He will instead concentrate on his commitments with Dancing with the Stars over in the US.
I had a great time last year and can’t wait to see some more top talent, according to KSI, who expressed gratitude and joy at the news. I’m upbeat, prepared to go, and eager to make this the most entertaining BGT season yet. Do this, please.
Many Sidemen fans eked out their congratulations after the news was released. On social media, a user responded, “I think that gig really suits someone like JJ.” I’m pleased for him. It’s also cool to “pave the way for other “YouTubeers” to become popular.”
Another remarked, “It’s crazy work to go from CoD (Call of Duty) montages and the R face to BGT judge.”
Samham has previously worked on projects with KSI and the Sidemen.
However, many dedicated fans and viewers of the YouTube channel, which posts videos on a regular basis, shared the same concern. They questioned whether his involvement in the ITV competition would result in fewer appearances in his own videos.
On the Sidemen subreddit, a user wrote, “Good for him! Although, regrettably, he’s likely going to miss a lot of sidemen Sundays right now.
Someone else concurred, “Exactly what you said.” I’m not sure how much this will impact other things, but BGT does a lot of episodes.
A TikTok star who appeared alongside Bonnie Blue has died, according to the 43-year-old. Three Kings Pond, Mitcham, was last month home to Ali Walker, who is referred to as Ali Kingston University. His family’s house was only a few minutes away from the pond.
A public member found Walker’s body on August 11th. He was pronounced dead at the scene despite the assistance of emergency services. Following a man’s concern for his safety in the water, a police spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police called 911 at 9:45 am on Monday, August 11th, to Three Kings Pond, Mitcham.
His immediate family members have been informed. His death is being treated as unanticipated but not suspicious. The coroner will be given a file to prepare. After posting a video in which he requested access to appear in Bonnie Blue’s 1, 000 men challenge, where she slept with 1, 000 men in 12 hours, “Walker became known on social media.”
Mr. Walker was discovered in a stream close to the residence of his parents (alikingstonuniversity/Instagram).
He quickly shared a video that showed him arriving at the stunning London mansion owned by Edward “Fast Eddie” Davenport. However, he later admitted that the challenge was beyond him because he realized that there were only 30 to 40 other men in the line, which is thought to be between 30 and 40.
He claimed that it was his life’s most bizarre experience, saying, “It was the absolute best.” What was happening just surprised me. You entered a room with her one at a time, as I had been told, but when I arrived, it was a free event for everyone.
Mr. Walker withdrew from the controversial challenge against Bonnie Blue (Bonnie Blue/Instagram).
Walker continued, “There were so many guys, and he was quite shy, and he didn’t want to start involving himself in that kind of thing in the first place.” Later, he claimed to have slept with Lily Phillips, a controversial adult actress. In the Lily Phillips 1113 man meet and jeet, he said, adding that a photo of them both was also included. “I’m number 1113.”
Later, Walker wrote a song called “Bunda” with the lyrics “Lily Phillips, I just want you to be my girl/Lily Phillips, you got the nicest bunda (bottom) in the world.”
Friends of Walker have since expressed their condolences on social media, with podcast host Shaun Maroof saying, “He was a friend of mine, and it’s really sad. He was loved by so many people. Tom Birchy also said, “I’m devastated. Do you know how there are some people who are simply not of this world? He was a sweet man, a lovely man, and so on. One of them was him, and I believe that his social media presence earned him some respect and notoriety.
He claimed to have had sexual relations with Lily Phillips (Lily Phillips/YouTube).
“I wish he had known how many people had cherished him,” he said. He turned a s*** hand into something that made millions of people laugh, and he was a f****** funny person who did it. He had a good reputation.
According to reports, Walker’s funeral was held on August 14 at Morden’s Baitul Futuh mosque and was later interred in a nearby cemetery. Despite having a degree, he succeeded on TikTok and was given the nickname he now takes.
His online resume claimed to be from Battersea, where he attended Emanuel School, which costs £27, 000 annually. He later earned an English degree by completing three A Levels.
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