Senegal and Tunisia Maintain Positions atop African World Cup Qualifying Standings

Senegal continued their undefeated streak in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mauritania on Sunday, while Tunisia retained their position at the summit of their group despite settling for a goalless draw against Namibia. Both Senegal and Tunisia, having featured among the five African representatives at the previous World Cup in Qatar, are strongly positioned to secure qualification once again for the upcoming tournament co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Habib Diallo broke the deadlock in the 27th minute, nodding in a precise cross from Pape Matar Sarr, thereby propelling Senegal to the top of Group B with a crucial win in Nouakchott. Notably, Senegal managed this victory without key players Sadio Mane and Nicolas Jackson, sidelined due to injuries.

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However, the match encountered a significant delay during the second half when frustrated home fans hurled objects onto the pitch, leading to a temporary suspension of proceedings. Despite this disruption, Senegal maintained their lead in Group B, sitting one point above Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Meanwhile, Tunisia faced a resilient Namibian side in Soweto, South Africa, where they narrowly escaped defeat after a contentious decision. Namibia appeared to have scored in the 14th minute when Tunisia’s goalkeeper spilled Deon Hotto’s free-kick into the net, only for the referee to rule it out for a foul on the goalkeeper, a decision that sparked debate given minimal contact.

Tunisia now enjoys a two-point lead atop Group H, with Namibia closely trailing behind, while Liberia occupies third place, trailing by an additional point.

In other matches, Liberia secured a last-gasp 1-0 victory over Sao Tome and Principe, courtesy of Sheikh Sesay’s late winner, whereas Djibouti earned their first point in Group A with a 1-1 draw against neighboring Ethiopia.

Monday is set to witness eight more qualifiers across Africa as the race to secure berths in the 2026 finals intensifies.

With nine groups in the African preliminaries, the group winners will directly advance to the 2026 finals in North America, while the four best runners-up will have an opportunity to progress through two playoff tournaments.