With the curtain coming down on Sunday on the Africa Cup of Nations finals, what does the rest of 2026 hold in store for national teams on the continent?
MARCH WINDOW
The next international window is at the end of March, and the major focus will be on the Democratic Republic of Congo’s efforts to qualify for the World Cup via the inter-confederation playoffs.
They have a good chance to do so as they will play on March 31 in Guadalajara, Mexico, against the winner of a playoff four days earlier between Jamaica and New Caledonia. If the Leopards are successful, then they become the 10th African country at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.
The nine who have already qualified should be using the window to get in at least two friendlies, but South Africa’s typically tardy organisation means they are yet to announce who they will play. Egypt take on Saudi Arabia and Spain on neutral turf in Qatar, while Tunisia are to play Canada away and get some appropriate preparation in one of the host countries.
Cape Verde are going all the way to New Zealand to take on Chile and Finland in the FIFA Series—one of many four-team tournaments that FIFA is paying for.
Ghana have a prestige friendly against Germany in Stuttgart. Also in the match window are the preliminary round matches at the start of the 2027 Cup of Nations qualifiers, with neighbours Eswatini and Lesotho both involved in two-legged ties.
WORLD CUP
Nine African countries — perhaps ten — will all be looking to see if they can emulate the feat of Morocco in Qatar four years ago and get as far as, if not further than, the semi-final.
Newly crowned African champion Senegal have a tough group with France and Norway, while Morocco share their group with five-time winners Brazil. Ghana are in with England and Croatia, while debutants Cape Verde must take on Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Uruguay.
NEXT CUP OF NATIONS
The qualifiers for the next Cup of Nations, to be hosted in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, take place in the last two windows of the year from September 21-October 6 and then again from November 9-17.
Before that, the Confederation of African Football will have to hold a draw where the 48 teams left in the qualifiers, after the March preliminaries, will be drawn into 12 groups of four. Bafana Bafana should be one of the seeded teams this time round.
