Ace Football looks back on the latest action from the African World Cup Qualifiers and the teams that have made the playoffs so far.
Which teams have progressed to the third round?
Round three of the CAF World Cup qualifiers will see the 10 group winners from the second round drawn into five two-legged ties. The victors of each fixture qualify for the 2022 World Cup. So far, the following six teams have progressed:
Egypt- Mali
- Morocco
- Senegal
DR Congo- Ghana
Egypt
Mali
Morocco
Senegal
DR Congo
GhanaThe third round CAF World Cup qualifying playoffs are expected to take place on March 2022. FIFA has yet to release the official dates.
CAF World Cup Qualifiers Round-Up (November 14)
Zimbabwe 1-1 Ethiopia
Abubeker Nasir Ahmed’s 86th-minute equalizer denied Zimbabwe a first win in Sunday’s Group G showdown.
As a result, the Walia Ibex ended their World Cup qualifying campaign with a third-place finish in Group G on five points. Zimbabwe, who claimed just two points from six matches, finish bottom in fourth.
Madagascar 1-1 Tanzania
Sunday’s meeting between a 10-man Madagascar and Tanzania ended in a 1-1 draw at the Mahamasina Stadium.
It was the visitors who took the lead inside 25 minutes when Simon Msuva bagged his third goal in Group J. However, Hakim Abdallah’s second-half equalizer denied the East Africans all three points.
Despite Pascal Razakanantenaina’s late red card reducing them to 10-men, Madagascar held on for a draw. The Barea, therefore, finished fourth in Group J with four points from six matches, while Tanzania ended up in third on eight points. Both teams will not progress to the next round of the World Cup qualifiers.
DR Congo 2-0 Benin
A 2-0 win in Kinshasa has moved DR Congo one step closer to a first World Cup finals appearance since 1974.
Dieumerci Mbokani fired the Congolese into the lead with a first-half penalty. It was the captain’s fourth goal in six matches. Ben Malango later sealed the win by scoring from close range in the 75th-minute.
As a result, DR Congo progressed to the playoffs by leapfrogging Benin as Group J winners on the final day. The Leopards finished on 11 points from six games, one point above their West African opponents.
Mali 1-0 Uganda
Despite having already booked a spot in the playoffs, Mali grabbed another win to end their Group E campaign in style.
The unbeaten Group E winners finished with 16 points from six matches after Kalifa Coulibaly headed in an early goal in their 1-0 victory over Uganda in the Moroccan city of Agadir.
Uganda finished second in Group E on nine points from six outings, seven points behind Mali. In third is Kenya on three points, while Rwanda are in fourth with just one point. The two teams will face each other on Monday for the final group fixture.
Ghana 1-0 South Africa
Andre Ayew scored the vital match-winner to send Ghana through to the playoffs at the expense of South Africa.
The Bafana Bafana, who needed just a point to progress, lost at the worst possible time. A debatable foul on Daniel Amartey inside the box led to a 33rd-minute penalty for Ghana. Ayew, in what his 100th appearance for the Black Stars, fittingly scored the spot-kick to send his team to the next round as Group G winners.
While both Ghana and South Africa finished on 13 points in the group, the former finished top thanks to scoring one more goal than their South African rivals.
Senegal 2-0 Congo
With Sadio Mane out injured, Ismaila Sarr stepped up to secure a 2-0 win for Senegal with a first-half brace.
The Lions of Teranga, who had already qualified for the playoffs, finished as Group H winners on 16 points from six games. Togo and Namibia, who meet on Monday, are second and third respectively on five points, while Congo are rock-bottom on a mere three.
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