5 things we learned from the WC qualifiers

Mohamed Salah of Egypt. EPA/MOHAMED HOSSAM

Wednesday Jun 12, 2024. 11:02

With the latest round of CAF 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers now completed, here’s a look at five things we’ve learned from all the action around the continent.

Home teams – Neutral venues

As reported prior to the CAF WC qualifiers, 17 out of the 43 nations were forced to play their home games at neutral venues as a result of their own home grounds not being up to standard. Also, Namibia coach Collin Benjamin previously expressed the importance of how home games can spur teams on to collect vital points in their respective qualifying campaigns. Nevertheless, with CAF taking a firm stance on poor facilities in the last couple of years, hopefully African football federations will now be forced to improve their football infrastructure.

The need for VAR in qualifiers

The latest round of fixtures did not go by without any refereeing controversy, leading numerous supporters to voice their opinions online regarding the need for VAR to be used in CAF World Cup qualifiers. While the recent Africa Cup of Nations showcased how efficient VAR can be used on the continent, a good case has now been made for its use in qualifying matches leading up to the World Cup.

The rise of the underdogs

With a number of African giants struggling to yield positive results in the last couple of weeks, a pathway has been made for smaller nations to qualify for the upcoming World Cup. As seen with the likes of Comoros, Rwanda, South Africa and Sudan, a dreamy underdog story could be on the cards leading up to the 2026 showpiece.

Yet to lose

Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Sudan, Cameroon, Angola, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Namibia have remained unbeaten following the latest list of qualifying assignments. While many other nations remain in clear contention to qualify, it can be said that the above-mentioned teams raised the bar in the last couple of matches.

Egypt’s attack reigns supreme

The Pharaohs boast having one of the most potent attacking departments on the continent and currently have two players leading the top scorer’s chart in the CAF WC Qualifiers. As it stands, Mohamed Salah and Mahmoud Trezeguet are tied for the most goals (5) scored after four matches played.