Atlas Lions roar into 2026 World Cup with perfect record after Niger rout

Morocco became the first African nation to book their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday night, after crushing Niger 5-0 in Rabat to secure an unassailable lead at the top of Group E.

The Atlas Lions delivered a masterclass performance, sealing their sixth consecutive victory of the qualifiers and maintaining a perfect 100% record.

Ismael Saibari struck twice, while Ayoub El Kaabi, Hamza Igamane, and Azzedine Ounahi all got on the scoresheet, confirming Morocco’s dominance in front of jubilant home fans.

With 18 points from six matches, Morocco are untouchable in Group E. Tanzania, their only mathematical challengers, slipped further behind after a 1-1 draw with Congo in Brazzaville earlier on Friday, leaving them eight points adrift with no chance of catching the North African giants.

The qualification extends Morocco’s meteoric rise on the global stage. Having already etched history as Africa’s first-ever World Cup semi-finalists in Qatar 2022, Walid Regragui’s men continue to set the benchmark, cementing their place as the continent’s top-ranked side.

Elsewhere across Africa, the race for North America 2026 heated up with no fewer than 14 qualifiers played.

In Cairo, Egypt tightened their grip on Group A after a 2-0 win over Ethiopia. Mohamed Salah netted his seventh goal of the campaign from the spot, before Omar Marmoush added another penalty to keep the Pharaohs five points clear of Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso had earlier thrashed Djibouti 6-0, with doubles from Dango Ouattara and Edmond Tapsoba.

African champions Ivory Coast returned to the summit of Group F with a narrow 1-0 win over Burundi, courtesy of Vakoun Bayo’s third-minute strike. They now lead Gabon by a single point ahead of Tuesday’s decisive showdown in Libreville.

Group B is also delicately poised. DR Congo demolished South Sudan 4-1 thanks to Cedric Bakambu’s brace and a strike from Yoane Wissa. Senegal stayed in step, beating Sudan 2-0 in Dakar, with captain Kalidou Koulibaly and Pape Matar Sarr on target. The two heavyweights meet in Kinshasa on Tuesday in what could prove a group decider.

In Group C, South Africa held their nerve, extending their lead to five points over Benin after a 3-0 victory over Lesotho, with Burnley’s Lyle Foster among the scorers. Benin, meanwhile, edged Zimbabwe 1-0 through Steve Mounie. Nigeria’s hopes remain alive, but they face back-to-back must-win clashes against Rwanda and South Africa.

Algeria also took a huge step toward qualification after Mozambique’s shock 4-0 defeat in Uganda left them firmly in control of Group G.

Meanwhile, Namibia’s stumble against Malawi opened the door for Tunisia, who will secure their place if they defeat Equatorial Guinea away on Monday.

The format remains unforgiving: only the winners of each of the nine African groups will automatically qualify, with the four best runners-up heading to a high-stakes playoff in November.