By Abiola Olawale
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced the schedule, venues, and matchups for the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Playoff Tournament.
This highly anticipated mini-tournament, set to take place in Morocco in November, will determine the continent’s final hopeful for the expanded global showpiece.
The four nations who emerged as the best runners-up across the nine qualification groups—Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo)—will now battle it out for a spot in the inter-confederation play-off.
The high-stakes mini-tournament will take place from 13 to 16 November 2025 in Rabat, Morocco.
According to CAF, the semi-finals will be played on Thursday, 13 November 2025, at El Barid Stadium and the Prince Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex.
The opening semi-final will see Nigeria’s Super Eagles take on Gabon at 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT).
This will be followed by the second semi-final between Cameroon and DR Congo at 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
The tournament’s final is slated for Sunday, 16 November 2025, at Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Stadium, with kick-off set for 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
Confirmed Fixtures: CAF 2026 Playoff
Match 1: Nigeria vs Gabon — 17:00
Match 2: Cameroon vs DR Congo — 20:00
The overall winner will advance to the FIFA Inter-Continental Play-off in March 2026, where they will compete for Africa’s 10th and final slot at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The tournament represents the last hurdle for the participating nations as they seek to join Africa’s already-qualified contingent on football’s biggest stage.
