Morocco trash Niger to become first African side to qualify for World Cup
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Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 06.09.25. | 10:29
Six games, six victories and only two conceded goals are in stark contrast to 19 scored. It doesn't get much better than that...
The Atlas Lions became the very first African nation to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after hammering Niger 5-0 in Rabat on Friday night.
Morocco, which made history by reaching the semi-finals at Qatar 2022, secured their spot in the next global showpiece with two games to spare after Tanzania could only draw 1-1 in Congo-Brazzaville earlier on Friday.
Morocco wamefuzu michuano ya Dimba la Dunia 👏🏿👏🏿🔥. #WorldCupQualifiers pic.twitter.com/XEcrfnixdD
— Mozzart Bet Kenya (@mozzartbetkenya) September 6, 2025
Things went terribly wrong for Niger after their Abdoul-Latif Goumey was sent off for his second yellow after just 26 minutes. Ismael Saibari converted Youssef Belammari's cross to open the scoring only three minutes later.
From that moment on, it was a very one-sided game.
Saibari doubled the lead before the break when he tapped in a low ball from Achraf Hakimi. Ayoub El Kaabi killed the tie with his team's third early in the second half from another pinpoint Belammari delivery.
Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, and Morocco are the latest teams to book their place at the World Cup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XYK19fSJpp
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 5, 2025
Hamza Igamane came off the bench to score his maiden international goal from a well-worked corner routine and Azzedine Ounahi sealed the brutal victory with a curling effort.
Eight more group winners will join Morocco at the 2026 finals, while four best-placed runners-up will also enter the play-offs for a slot at an intercontinental tournament.
2026 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - AFRICA
Wednesday
Seychelles - Gabon 0-4 (0-3)
/Bouanga 4, 34, 38, M'Bemba 89/
Thursday
Chad - Ghana 1-1 (0-1)
/Ecua 89 - Ayew 18/
Angola - Libya 0-1 (0-0)
/Al Mariami 48/
Guinea Bissau - Sierra Leone 1-1 (0-1)
/Balde 74 - Kamara 45+1/
Madagascar - Central African Republic 2-0 (1-0)
/Caddy 45+2, Randrianantenaina 59/
Mauritius - Cape Verde 0-2 (0-1)
/Cabral 22, Borges 70/
Sao Tome - Equatorial Guinea 2-3 (2-0)
/Afonso 8 pen, 42 pen - Ganet 52, Salvador 61, Nabil 69/
Algeria - Botswana 3-1 (1-1)
/Amoura 33, Bounedjah 71, 90+6 - Kopelang 43/
Cameroon - Eswatini 3-0 (3-0)
/Gamedze 6 (og), N'Koudou 25, Ebong 28/
Mali - Comoros 3-0 (1-0)
/Dorgeles 28, Doumbia 70 pen, Coulibaly 76/
Tunisia - Liberia 3-0 (1-0)
/Mastouri 5, Sassi 66, Saad 90+4/
Friday
Somalia - Guinea 0-3 (0-1)
/Guirassy 22, Othman 64 og, Camara O. 90+6/
South Sudan - DR Congo 1-4 (0-3)
/Majak 68 - Bakambu 13, 36, Mbuku 45+1, Wissa 57/
Kenya - Gambia 1-3 (0-3)
/Ogam 81 - Sinyan 12, Minteh 27, Barrow 38/
Namibia - Malawi 1-2 (0-1)
/Ndeunyema 86 - Mbulu 5, Mhango 53/
Benin - Zimbabwe 1-0 (0-0)
/Mounie 77/
Djibouti - Burkina Faso 0-6 (0-4)
/Irie 16, Tiendrebeogo 25, Tapsoba 36, 43, Quattara 59, 86 pen/
Lesotho - South Africa 0-3 (0-2)
/Nkota 15, Foster 63, Appollis 67/
Congo - Tanzania 1-1 (0-0)
/Moussavou 68 - Mwalimu 84/
Uganda - Mozambique 4-0 (0-0)
/Okello 48, Mato 70, 84, Capradossi 90/
Egypt - Ethiopia 2-0 (2-0)
/Salah 41 pen, Marmoush 45+2 pen/
Ivory Coast - Burundi 1-0 (1-0)
/Bayo 3/
Mauritania - Togo 2-0 (1-0)
/Yade 13, Abeid 68/
Morocco - Niger 5-0 (2-0)
/Saibari 29,38, El Kaabi 51, Igamane 69, Ounahi 85/
Senegal - Sudan 2-0 (2-0)
/Koulibaly 14, Sarr 41/
Saturday
19.00: (1.37) Nigeria (4.50) Rwanda (10.00)
***odds are subject to change***
