Online ReporterJOHANNESBURG. — African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup resume this week after a nine-month hiatus — and the stakes are high for some big names.
Six rounds of the 10-match group campaign remain, and the two fixtures this month will go a long way to deciding the fate of many teams.
The nine group winners are assured of a place at the finals in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
The four best second-placed sides will have a chance to earn one final spot via play-offs.
A raft of managerial changes have occurred since the last round in June, with Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia among the sides with new coaches.
Rigobert Song is now in charge of the Central African Republic, Aliou Cisse is now in charge of Libya and Benni McCarthy is now in charge of Kenya.
Among the heavyweights of the continental game it is Nigeria who have the greatest need for immediate results.
Winless in Group C, and languishing four points behind leaders Rwanda, Eric Chelle assumes an already high-profile role which is amplified by difficult circumstances.
The former Mali coach becomes the first non-Nigerian African to take charge of the Super Eagles.
The West Africans travel to Kigali before hosting Zimbabwe, and Chelle accepts they are must-win encounters for the three-time African champions.
“There is pressure in football,” he told BBC Sport Africa.
“I say time is the enemy of the coach. But I’m confident and I believe in my players.”
Star striker Victor Osimhen says he and his team-mates are “desperate” to make the finals after missing out on the 2022 edition in Qatar.
Another new boss needing positive returns is Tom Saintfiet, who looks to revive Mali’s campaign in Group I after succeeding Chelle.
The four-point gap to group leaders Comoros can be cut straight away as the Eagles travel to face the islanders.
“We are not in an easy position but I have a very talented group,” Saintfiet told BBC Sport Africa.
“It’s a big luxury to have so many quality players.”
Mali have never reached the World Cup finals and, after going unbeaten through preliminaries for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), Saintfiet is upbeat about their hopes.
“After six matches with four wins, two draws, I’m quite positive,” the Belgian added.
“We going to try everything to write history.”
Elsewhere in Group I, Ghana will look to put their disastrous Afcon 2025 qualifying campaign behind them against Chad and Madagascar.
Corentin Martins is now in the dugout for the latter, while Rigobert Song faces his first games as Central African Republic boss.
Senegal boss Pape Thiaw is another man inheriting a World Cup bid after succeeding Aliou Cisse, to whom he was an assistant, last October.
The West Africans ended AFCON 2025 qualifying unbeaten and former striker El Hadji Diouf has been impressed by the smooth transition in the Teranga Lions hotseat.
“Pape was there when Aliou was here so we [have] good continuity,” Diouf told BBC Sport Africa.
“Senegal is a family and we have a wonderful group. We have to work together and be happy all together.” – BBC Sport
