DEFINING PERIOD AHEAD

March's pivotal group stage qualifiers will bring the finish line into sight for some African nations, while leaving others trailing further back

- Mark Gleeson

Africa's World Cup qualifying group stage campaign passes the halfway point this March. After the two rounds of action, there will only be four matchdays left — in September and October.

While most countries are still in with a chance, several upcoming games will likely prove key in the race to fill places at the finals in North America. The nine group winners all advance, with the four best runners-up getting another crack in November's second round. The winners of that will then enter the new cross-continental play-off system, which takes place in March 2026.

Surprise packages Sudan have a massive showdown with Senegal in Group B that could go a long way to determining who finishes on top of the standings, while Algeria can put some daylight between themselves and the chasing pack in Group G if they beat both Botswana away and Mozambique at home in their next two fixtures.

Sudan surprised everyone with the way they secured qualification for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals, given that their country is in the midst of a civil war and all their top players are in exile. It would be a fairy tale if they were to go on and qualify for the World Cup, although Senegal are fancied to win the group.