Caf Clarifies Procedure for Determining Best Runners-Up in 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
JOHANNESBURG – The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has issued updated regulations detailing how the best group runners-up will be identified in the ongoing African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bringing much-needed clarity to a complex qualifying campaign.
The African qualification route offers nine direct tickets to the expanded 48-team World Cup. The nine group winners will automatically qualify for the tournament. The next stage involves the four best second-placed teams from all groups, who will advance to a centralized continental play-off. The winner of this mini-tournament will then earn the right to represent Africa in the intercontinental play-offs for a final spot.
Caf’s newly released guidelines specifically address the complications arising from team withdrawals, which have left some groups with fewer than the standard four teams. The key criterion states that when ranking the runners-up, results against the bottom-placed teams in groups of five will be disregarded to ensure a fair comparison with groups that have only four teams due to withdrawals.
This update is particularly significant for nations in affected groups. For instance, Uganda, whose Group G was reduced to four teams following the suspension of Eritrea, now has a clearer and more equitable path. The revised rules mean that the Cranes’ results will be judged on a comparable basis with runners-up from other groups, keeping their dream of a first-ever World Cup appearance alive.
The clarification ensures that no team is advantaged or disadvantaged by the uneven structure of the qualifiers, maintaining the integrity of the competition as the race for places in the 2026 World Cup intensifies.
