African Teams Battle for 2026 World Cup Spots: Matchday 5 Fixtures & Kickoff Times
The race for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup heats up this weekend as top African teams, including Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Egypt, and Rwanda, continue their qualifying journey. With the tournament set to take place in Canada, the USA, and Mexico, every match is crucial in securing a ticket to the global stage.
As the competition intensifies, here’s a breakdown of the key fixtures and kickoff times for Matchday 5 of the African qualifiers (all times in GMT):
Friday, 21 March 2025
Group G – Botswana 
Algeria (13:00) Group H – Equatorial Guinea São Tomé and Príncipe (13:00) Group A – Burkina Faso Djibouti (16:00) Group B – DR Congo South Sudan (16:00) Group C – Rwanda Nigeria (16:00) Group C – South Africa Lesotho (16:00) Group G – Burundi Côte d’Ivoire (19:00) Group G – Ghana Chad (19:00) Group A – Ethiopia Egypt (21:00) Group G – Guinea Somalia (21:00) Group E – Niger Morocco (21:30)
Saturday, 22 March 2025
Group B – Togo Mauritania (16:00) Group B – Sudan Senegal (19:00)
With big names and fierce rivalries, these matchups promise exciting football action. Which teams will take a step closer to their World Cup dream? Stay tuned for the latest updates! 
