October 13, (THEWILL) – In the group stage of the Confederation of African Football qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, there are only two more matchdays to go. Already, Senegal and Morocco have qualified for the third and final round, which will determine the five African representatives who will compete in Qatar next year.
After matchday 4 this week, the details below provide a glance for how far teams in each group have come and what remains to look forward to in the pair of fixtures left.
Group A
Algeria and Burkina Faso are tied for first place and will fight it out until the end. It is a race that will most likely be determined on the last matchday, when Algeria hosts Burkina Faso in a decider, with Niger and Djibouti already out.
Standings
1. Algeria – 10 points
2. Burkina Faso – 10 points
3. Niger – 3 points
4. Djibouti – 0 points
Remaining matches
Djibouti – Algeria
Burkina Faso – Niger
Algeria – Burkina Faso
Niger – Djibouti
Group B
Tunisia maintained their lead without losing a goal. If Carthage Eagles win in Equatorial Guinea on the next matchday, they will qualify for the last round. With a only single point so far, Mauritania is out of the race.
Standings
1. Tunisia – 10 points
2. Equatorial Guinea – 7 points
3. Zambia – 4 points
4. Mauritania – 1 point
Remaining matches
Equatorial Guinea – Tunisia
Zambia – Mauritania
Tunisia – Zambia
Mauritania – Equatorial Guinea
Group C
The race is still open mathematically, with Nigeria leading the pack with nine points, two more than Cape Verde and five more than Central African Republic, with Liberia trailing with three points. To advance, the Super Eagles will need four points from their remaining games.
Standings
1. Nigeria – 9 points
2. Cape Verde – 7 points
3. Central African Republic – 4 points
4. Liberia – 3 points
Remaining matches
Cape Verde – Central African Republic
Liberia – Nigeria
Nigeria – Cape Verde
Central African Republic – Liberia
Group D
The two-horse contest between Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon will almost certainly continue until the final matchday. With 10 points, Cote d’Ivoire leads the pack, one point ahead of Cameroon, with Malawi (3 points) and Mozambique (1 point) already eliminated.
Standings
1. Cote d’Ivoire – 10 points
2. Cameroon – 9 points
3. Malawi – 3 points
4. Mozambique – 1 point
Remaining matches
Malawi – Cameroon
Cote d’Ivoire – Mozambique
Cameroon – Cote d’Ivoire
Mozambique – Malawi
Group E
Mali and Uganda will compete in a two-horse race, with the Eagles on 10 points and the Cranes on eight, with neither side having conceded a goal in the qualifiers. Kenya and Rwanda have already been eliminated.
Standings
1. Mali – 10 points
2. Uganda – 8 points
3. Kenya – 2 points
4. Rwanda – 1 point
Remaining matches
Uganda – Kenya
Rwanda – Mali
Mali – Uganda
Kenya – Rwanda
Group F
Egypt came within a whisker of securing the group’s lone spot to the next round. The Pharaohs are in first place with ten points, four points ahead of second-placed Libya. Gabon is in third place, while Angola has already been eliminated.
Standings
1. Egypt – 10 points
2. Libya – 6 points
3. Gabon – 4 points
4. Angola – 3 points
Remaining matches
Angola – Egypt
Gabon – Libya
Libya – Angola
Egypt – Gabon
Group G
As both sides continued to keep up against each other, the tight race between South Africa and Ghana will go down to the wire. South Africa leads the group with 10 points, one more than Ghana, and the last matchday match between the two is expected to be the deciding meeting.
Standings
1. South Africa – 10 points
2. Ghana – 9 points
3. Ethiopia – 3 points
4. Zimbabwe – 1 point
Remaining matches
South Africa – Zimbabwe
Ethiopia – Ghana
Ghana – South Africa
Zimbabwe – Ethiopia
Group H
Senegal has secured the group’s lone ticket to the third and final round after completing a 100 percent winning record. The rest of the games will be mere formalities.
Standings
1. Senegal – 12 points
2. Togo – 4 points
3. Namibia – 4 points
4. Congo – 2 points
Remaining matches
Togo – Senegal
Congo – Namibia
Namibia – Togo
Senegal – Congo
Group I
Morocco secured their position in the final round by winning all four of their group games, leaving the final two matchdays as of no consequence.
Standings
1. Morocco – 12 points
2. Guinea Bissau – 4 points
3. Namibia – 3 points
4. Sudan – 2 points
Remaining matches
Sudan – Morocco
Guinea – Guinea Bissau
Morocco – Guinea
Guinea Bissau – Sudan
Group J
In the upcoming games, all four teams are still in the race. Tanzania and Benin are tied for first place with seven points apiece, two more than DR Congo, and Madagascar has three.
Standings
1. Tanzania – 7 points
2. Benin – 7 points
3. DR Congo – 5 points
4. Madagascar – 3 points
Remaining matches
Benin – Madagascar
Tanzania – DR Congo
Madagascar – Tanzania
DR Congo – Benin
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
