Morocco First African Team to Qualify for 2026 FIFA World Cup. The qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are in full swing, with less than a year to go until the tournament begins. Until recently, no team from Africa had officially secured a spot in the competition. That changed on Friday, September 5, when Morocco became the first African nation to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The historic feat came in a Group E qualifier held in Rabat, where Morocco crushed Niger 5-0. The game started with drama as Niger’s Abdul-Latif Gouma received a red card early on, giving Morocco an immediate advantage. They capitalized well, with Ismael Saibari scoring twice in the first half. In the second half, Ayoub El Kaabi, Hamza Igamane, and Azzedine Ounahi each added to the tally.
Following this dominant win, Morocco now sits at the top of their group with 18 points, a full 8 points ahead of second-placed Tanzania. With only two matches remaining, the 2022 World Cup semifinalists have already sealed their ticket to the 2026 tournament. This will be Morocco’s seventh appearance at the World Cup.
Morocco made headlines in Qatar in 2022 by becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals, defeating heavyweights like Spain and Portugal after advancing past a group that included Croatia and Belgium. Although they were eventually knocked out by France, their run inspired millions.
Of the five goal-scorers against Niger, only Azzedine Ounahi was part of Morocco’s 2022 World Cup squad. Since then, head coach Walid Regragui has introduced a wave of new talent, including Ismael Saibari, who plays for PSV Eindhoven.
Other African qualifiers on the same day also saw commanding performances. Egypt defeated Ethiopia 2-0 in Cairo, with goals from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush. The Democratic Republic of Congo cruised past South Sudan 4-1, while South Africa topped their group with a 3-0 win over Lesotho.