Morocco became the first African nation to secure a spot at next year’s World Cup on Friday, sealing qualification with a dominant 5-0 victory over Niger in Rabat. The win guaranteed them top place in Group E and extended their perfect run in the qualifiers to six matches.
Ismael Saibari struck twice, while Ayoub El Kaabi, Hamza Igamane and Azzedine Ounahi also found the net, ensuring Morocco’s 100% record. Their closest challengers, Tanzania, were held to a 1-1 draw by Congo earlier in the day, leaving them on 10 points from six games compared to Morocco’s 18.
The Atlas Lions, who made history in 2022 as the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final, have remained Africa’s highest-ranked side ever since.
Elsewhere on a busy night of 14 qualifiers across the continent, Egypt maintained control of Group A with a 2-0 home win over Ethiopia. Mohamed Salah converted from the spot for his seventh goal of the campaign, before Omar Marmoush added a second penalty. Burkina Faso stayed five points behind after thrashing Djibouti 6-0, with braces from Dango Ouattara and Edmond Tapsoba.
In Group F, African champions Ivory Coast returned to the summit after a narrow 1-0 win over Burundi, courtesy of a third-minute strike by Vakoun Bayo. They now sit a point above Gabon, who they will face away on Tuesday.
Group B remains finely poised, with just one point separating leaders DR Congo and Senegal. Cedric Bakambu’s double and a Yoane Wissa goal helped DR Congo beat South Sudan 4-1, while Senegal overcame Sudan 2-0 in Dakar thanks to Kalidou Koulibaly and Pape Matar Sarr. The two giants meet in Kinshasa on Tuesday.
South Africa stayed firmly in control of Group C, five points clear of Benin. Burnley’s Lyle Foster scored as Bafana Bafana swept aside Lesotho 3-0, while Steve Mounie’s goal gave Benin victory over Zimbabwe. Nigeria, struggling so far, remain in contention but must win their upcoming fixtures against Rwanda and South Africa.
In Group G, Algeria’s chances improved significantly after second-placed Mozambique were thrashed 4-0 in Uganda, while in Group H Namibia’s defeat to Malawi means Tunisia can book their place if they beat Equatorial Guinea away on Monday.
Winners of all nine groups qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup in North America. The four best runners-up will advance to a playoff in November, offering one additional route to the finals.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck southwest of Greece’s island of Crete on Saturday, with no immediate reports of damage....
At least 10 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, Beirut's state news agency has said. The wave of attacks come despite a ceasefire ...
One person died after two freight trains collided on a bridge in Munich in the early hours of Saturday, causing two carriages to derail and crash onto...
At least seven people were killed and several others injured after two roadside bombs exploded in quick succession in northwest Pakistan on Saturday ...
Paraguay kept their World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Türkiye, but the celebrations were tempered by a costly red card for ve...
One person died after two freight trains collided on a bridge in Munich in the early hours of Saturday, causing two carriages to derail and crash onto the street below, police said.
At least seven people were killed and several others injured after two roadside bombs exploded in quick succession in northwest Pakistan on Saturday (20 June), according to local police.
Paraguay kept their World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Türkiye, but the celebrations were tempered by a costly red card for veteran forward Miguel Almirón.
Türkiye's World Cup campaign came to a painful end on Friday as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay despite dominating large parts of their Group D clash.
One person was killed and dozens injured after two passenger trains collided near Bedford in central England on Friday, prompting a major emergency response, British Transport Police said.
Morocco captain and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after an appeals court ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior U.S. official has said. Hezbollah has released a statement saying Israel must leave southern Lebanon. Israel has said it agrees to the ceasefire, but has said its armed forces won't leave Lebanon and will resume hostilities if attacked.
U.S. President Donald Trump sought a deal with Iran "out of deperation," Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said, in a statement on social media. Khamenei added that he himself "held a different view," to Trump, but allowed the agreement after receiving assurances from Iran's President.
Russia's defence ministry says its forces have captured the village of Yurkivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, according to the Interfax news agency. The claim could not be independently verified.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck southwest of Greece’s island of Crete on Saturday, with no immediate reports of damage.
One person died after two freight trains collided on a bridge in Munich in the early hours of Saturday, causing two carriages to derail and crash onto the street below, police said.
A senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will return a Polish state honour in protest, after Poland’s president stripped Zelenskyy of the country’s highest award over a historical dispute.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency early on Saturday, escalating a blockade crisis that has paralysed parts of the country and placed growing pressure on his government.
Morocco captain and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after an appeals court ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
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