2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Group C

The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Group C was a CAF qualifying group for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The group contained Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho.

The group winners, South Africa, directly qualified for the World Cup, and the runners-up, Nigeria, qualified for the second round to compete for a place in the inter-confederation play-offs.[1][2]

Standings

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  South Africa 10 5 3 2 15 9 +6 18 2026 FIFA World Cup — 1–1 2–1 0–3[a] 3–0 3–1
2  Nigeria 10 4 5 1 15 8 +7 17 Second round 1–1 — 4–0 1–1 1–0 1–1
3  Benin 10 5 2 3 12 11 +1 17 0–2 2–1 — 4–0 1–0 1–0
4  Lesotho 10 3 3 4 9 12 −3 12 0–3 1–2 0–0 — 0–1 1–0
5  Rwanda 10 3 2 5 5 9 −4 11 2–0 0–2 0–1 1–1 — 0–0
6  Zimbabwe 10 0 5 5 5 12 −7 5 0–0 1–1 2–2 0–2 0–1 —
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. ^ The South Africa v Lesotho match, which originally finished as a 2–0 win for South Africa, was later awarded as a 3–0 win to Lesotho as South Africa fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena.[3]

Matches

Rwanda 0–0 Zimbabwe
Report
Attendance: 7,500
Referee: Mohamed Ali Moussa (Niger)
Nigeria 1–1 Lesotho
  • Ajayi 67'
 Report
  • Mkwanazi 56'
Referee: Mehrez Malki (Tunisia)
South Africa 2–1 Benin
 Report
Referee: Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)
Zimbabwe 1–1 Nigeria
 Report
Stade Huye, Butare (Rwanda)
Attendance: 2,876
Referee: Souleiman Ahmed Djama (Djibouti)
Lesotho 0–0 Benin
Report
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Tsegay Mogos Teklu (Eritrea)
Rwanda 2–0 South Africa
 Report
Referee: Amin Omar (Egypt)
Benin 1–0 Rwanda
 Report
Attendance: 3,600
Referee: Dahane Beida (Mauritania)
Zimbabwe 0–2 Lesotho
Report
Referee: Thulani Sibandze (Eswatini)
Nigeria 1–1 South Africa
 Report
Referee: Alhadi Allaou Mahamat (Chad)
Benin 2–1 Nigeria
 Report
Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Pierre Atcho (Gabon)
South Africa 3–1 Zimbabwe
 Report
Referee: Mohamed Maarouf Eid Mansour (Egypt)
Lesotho 0–1 Rwanda
Report
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Aklesso Gnama (Togo)
Zimbabwe 2–2 Benin
 Report
Attendance: 5,000
South Africa 0–3
Awarded[a]		 Lesotho
 Report
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Mohamed Diraneh Guedi (Djibouti)
Rwanda 0–2 Nigeria
Report
Referee: Jalal Jayed (Morocco)
Benin 0–2 South Africa
Report
Attendance: 786
Referee: Dahane Beida (Mauritania)
Nigeria 1–1 Zimbabwe
 Report
Referee: Tsegay Mogos Teklu (Eritrea)
Rwanda 1–1 Lesotho
 Report
  • Fothoane 82'
Attendance: 43,000
Referee: Antoine Effa (Cameroon)
Benin 1–0 Zimbabwe
 Report
Attendance: 457
Referee: Lamin Jammeh (Gambia)
Lesotho 0–3 South Africa
Report
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Dickens Mimisa (Kenya)
Nigeria 1–0 Rwanda
Arokodare 51' Report
Referee: Alhadi Allaou Mahamat (Chad)
Zimbabwe 0–1 Rwanda
Report Mugisha 40'
Referee: Abdou Abdel Mefire (Cameroon)
South Africa 1–1 Nigeria
 Report
Referee: Pierre Atcho (Gabon)
Benin 4–0 Lesotho
 Report
Attendance: 3,417
Referee: Mahmood Ali Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)
Rwanda 0–1 Benin
Report
Referee: Mohamed Maarouf Eid Mansour (Egypt)
Lesotho 1–2 Nigeria
 Report
Referee: Alhadi Allaou Mahamat (Chad)
Zimbabwe 0–0 South Africa
Report
Lesotho 1–0 Zimbabwe
 Report
Attendance: 3,500
Referee: Tsegay Mogos Teklu (Eritrea)
South Africa 3–0 Rwanda
 Report
Attendance: 13,000
Referee: Mehrez Malki (Tunisia)
Nigeria 4–0 Benin
 Report
Referee: Amin Omar (Egypt)

Goalscorers

There were 60 goals scored in 30 matches, for an average of 2 goals per match.

6 goals

5 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Discipline

A player was automatically suspended for the next match for the following infractions:[4]

  • Receiving a red card (red card suspensions could be extended for serious infractions)
  • Receiving two yellow cards in two different matches (yellow card suspensions were carried forward to further qualification rounds, but not the finals or any other future international matches)

The following suspensions were served during the group stage:

Team Player Infraction(s) Suspended for match(es)
 Benin Dodo Dokou vs Rwanda (6 June 2024)
vs South Africa (25 March 2025)		 vs Zimbabwe (5 September 2025)
 Lesotho Motlomelo Mkhwanazi vs Nigeria (16 November 2023)
vs Benin (21 November 2023)		 vs Zimbabwe (7 June 2024)
vs Rwanda (11 June 2024)
vs Rwanda (25 March 2025)		 vs South Africa (5 September 2025)
 Rwanda Djihad Bizimana vs Lesotho (11 June 2024)
vs Nigeria (21 March 2025)		 vs Lesotho (25 March 2025)
 South Africa Teboho Mokoena vs Benin (18 November 2023)
vs Zimbabwe (11 June 2024)		 vs Lesotho (21 March 2025)[a]
 Zimbabwe Andrew Mbeba vs Rwanda (15 November 2023)
vs Lesotho (7 June 2024)		 vs South Africa (11 June 2024)
Marshall Munetsi vs Lesotho (7 June 2024)
vs Nigeria (25 March 2025)		 vs Benin (5 September 2025)

Notes

  1. ^ a b The South Africa v Lesotho match originally finished as a 2–0 win for South Africa. However, on 29 September 2025, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee awarded the match as a 3–0 win to Lesotho as South Africa fielded the ineligible player Teboho Mokoena. The South African Football Association were also fined CHF 10,000.[3]

References

  1. ^ "CAF Executive Committee approves FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers calendar and announces TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Côte d'Ivoire 2023 Final Draw date". CAF Online. CAF. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  2. ^ "CAF reveals new format for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers". CAF Online. CAF. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b "FIFA Disciplinary Committee sanctions South African Football Association". FIFA. 29 September 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  4. ^ "Regulations: FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition" (PDF). FIFA. June 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
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