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.
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Belgium has banned aircraft transporting weapons and military equipment to Israel from using its airspace or making technical stops, the Foreign Ministry confirmed to Anadolu on Friday.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of making “insulting and frankly appalling” remarks about Nato forces in Afghanistan, saying the comments wrongly diminish the sacrifice of British and allied troops and should be followed by an apology.
Ukrainian, U.S. and Russian officials are meeting in Abu Dhabi for their first-ever trilateral talks on the nearly four-year-long war in Ukraine.
Italy’s legendary couturier Valentino was laid to rest in Rome on Friday (23 January), drawing designers, actors and industry leaders to a ceremony marked by quiet emotion and flashes of his signature red.
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States has an "armada" heading toward Iran but hoped he would not have to use it, as he renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear programme.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow could pay $1 billion from Russian assets frozen abroad to secure permanent membership in President Donald Trump’s proposed ‘Board of Peace’.
A commuter train collided with a construction crane in southeastern Spain on Thursday (22 January), injuring several passengers, days after a high-speed rail disaster in Andalusia killed at least 43 people.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian that Türkiye opposes any form of foreign intervention in Iran, as protests and economic pressures continue to fuel tensions in the Islamic republic.
President Donald Trump says he has agreed a "framework" for a Greenland deal with NATO.
Sanctum is a documentary about faith preserved through respect, and history protected through responsibility.
Belgium has banned aircraft transporting weapons and military equipment to Israel from using its airspace or making technical stops, the Foreign Ministry confirmed to Anadolu on Friday.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has suspended operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan, just a day after a reactor was brought back online for the first time in more than a decade.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of making “insulting and frankly appalling” remarks about Nato forces in Afghanistan, saying the comments wrongly diminish the sacrifice of British and allied troops and should be followed by an apology.
In the snowy peaks of Davos, where the world’s most powerful leaders gather for the 56th World Economic Forum, a new narrative is emerging that challenges the current dominance of artificial intelligence (AI).
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