What is in store as Africa’s 2026 World Cup qualifying resumes?

After a nine-month hiatus, the stakes are high for some big names as African qualifiers for the 2026 Fifa World Cup return this week.

The two fixtures this month will have a significant impact on the fate of many teams, with the remaining six rounds of the 10-match group campaign still in play.

The nine group winners will be guaranteed a spot in the Canada, Mexico, and USA finals.

The top four second-placed teams will have a chance to take home a final spot through play-offs.

Since the most recent round in June, a number of managerial adjustments have been made, with Tunisia, Senegal, and Nigeria among the teams with new coaches.

Eric Chelle, who is unopposed in Group C and languishes four points behind Rwanda’s leaders, takes on an already well-known role that is made more complicated by challenging circumstances.

The Super Eagles will have the first non-Nigerian coach under their leadership, the former Mali coach.

Before hosting Zimbabwe, the West Africans travel to Kigali, and Chelle accepts that these encounters must be won by the three-time African champions.

He told BBC Sport Africa, “football is under pressure.”

“It is my coach’s time,” I say. But I have faith in my players and am confident in them.

As the Eagles face the islanders, the four-point gap between group leaders Comoros and can be immediately closed.

Saintfiet told BBC Sport Africa, “We are not in an easy position, but I have a very talented group.”

“Having so many top-notch players is a great luxury.”

Mali has never qualified for the World Cup finals, but Saintfiet is optimistic about their chances after surviving the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) preliminary matches.

The Belgian continued, “I’m quite positive after six games with four wins and two draws.”

“We will make every effort to create history.”

Ghana will face Chad and Madagascar in Group I to put their terrible Afcon 2025 qualifying campaign behind them.

El Hadji Diouf, a former West Africans striker, was impressed by the smooth transition in the Teranga Lions hotseat. The West Africans finished Afcon 2025 qualifying unbeaten.

According to Diouf, “Pape was there when Aliou was here so we] have good continuity.”

“We have a wonderful group and Senegal is a family.” We must collaborate and experience mutual happiness.

The former continental champions’ home games against the Sudanese, which will be played in Benghazi, Libya, and the subsequent home match against Togo, will feature without injured Premier League players Iliman Ndiaye and Nicolas Jackson.

Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Pharaohs, was sidelined during the Afcon 2025 qualifying campaign, but the forward will hope to bring his prolific form with Liverpool to games against Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.

Mohammed Kallon, a former Inter Milan and Monaco striker, has selected Juma Bah and Kei Kamara for his first team, while Salah will face them in his first match.

The Carthage Eagles are now two points clear of Group H, thanks to Sami Trabelsi’s return for a second spell in charge of Tunisia.

Ivory Coast, the reigning continental champion, leads Group F by one point, while new Kenya coach Benni McCarthy wants to close the Elephants’ five-point lead.

Cameroon are one point ahead of Cape Verde and Libya, which announced Aliou Cisse as their new boss last week.

The Incomparable Lions are aiming to add to their eight World Cup appearances.

Group G, where the top five rival rivals are essentially tied by just three points, is where things are now.

Algeria qualified for Afcon 2025 with the assistance of Vladimir Petkovic, but Les Verts will face Mozambique and Botswana, two more Moroccan teams.

Before the qualifiers began, Eritrea withdrew, and Congo-Brazzaville was recently suspended by world champion Fifa.

Even if the Red Devils manage to overturn their ban, their March games against Tanzania and Zambia have been postponed. This leaves little room for rearrangement in a packed international schedule.

The Confederation of African Football and Fifa are now in charge of determining the rankings of second-place teams in their group before potential play-offs.