Liverpool’s prolific forward Mohamed Salah continues to dominate the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, leading the scoring charts with six goals for Egypt. The 32-year-old opened his campaign in emphatic fashion, netting four times in a 6-0 demolition of Djibouti on matchday one in Cairo. He later found the net in away fixtures against Guinea-Bissau and Ethiopia, strengthening Egypt’s push for qualification.
Meanwhile, Algerian striker Mohamed Amoura made headlines with a matchday six hat-trick in a 5-1 thrashing of Mozambique in Tizi Ouzou. He now shares second place on the scoring charts with five other players, each having netted five goals.
Group C Drama and Surprise Results
Group C has been the epicenter of upsets, with lower-ranked teams delivering unexpected results. Lesotho shocked Nigeria with a hard-fought draw, while Rwanda capitalized on a rain-soaked pitch to edge past South Africa. Benin added to the surprises, coming from behind to defeat Nigeria.
This week, another dramatic moment unfolded as Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Tawanda Chirewa scored a stoppage-time equalizer to secure a 1-1 draw for Zimbabwe in Nigeria.
Dominant Performances and Standings
High-scoring matches have been scarce, with only three 5-0 victories, two 6-0 wins, and a 5-1 scoreline recorded. However, the biggest rout so far came from African champions Ivory Coast, who dismantled Seychelles 9-0.
Top-seeded teams have largely lived up to expectations, with Egypt, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, and Tunisia leading their respective groups. Cameroon and Senegal, both boasting strong World Cup pedigrees, sit second in their groups, trailing Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of Congo by just one point.
However, not all top-seeded teams have excelled. Nigeria and Mali find themselves struggling in fourth place, each trailing group leaders South Africa and Ghana by six points.
Morocco’s Flawless Run
Morocco remains the only team among the 52 in contention to have won all five of their matches. The 2022 World Cup semi-finalists have recorded key victories, including two 2-0 wins over Tanzania, a 2-1 triumph over Zambia, a commanding 6-0 win against Congo Brazzaville, and a 2-1 success against Niger.
The Atlas Lions also benefited from hosting their away fixtures against Congo and Niger. While Congo has not disclosed the reason for surrendering home advantage, Niger was forced to do so due to a lack of a FIFA-approved stadium.
Common Scorelines
Across the 151 matches played so far, 1-0 has been the most frequent result, occurring 33 times. Closely following are 2-1 and 2-0 scorelines, each appearing 21 times. Meanwhile, 1-1 draws (19) and goalless stalemates (15) complete the list of the most common outcomes.
With four matchdays remaining in September and October, the race for World Cup qualification is heating up, promising more drama, surprises, and standout performances.
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