{"id":2816,"date":"2025-09-08T18:17:58","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T16:17:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swazidailynews.com\/?p=2816"},"modified":"2025-09-08T18:17:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T16:17:58","slug":"world-cup-qualifiers-morocco-seal-their-spot-others-still-in-the-balance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/genesisekucalenimedia.com\/edn\/2816\/news\/world\/world-cup-qualifiers-morocco-seal-their-spot-others-still-in-the-balance\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup Qualifiers: Morocco Seal Their Spot, Others Still in the Balance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"206\" data-end=\"503\">Africa\u2019s road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup entered a decisive stage this week, with Morocco becoming the first team from the continent to book their ticket. Elsewhere, uncertainty continues to hang over traditional heavyweights such as Nigeria and South Africa, as qualification battles intensify.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"505\" data-end=\"527\">Morocco March On<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"528\" data-end=\"842\">The Atlas Lions confirmed their place with a commanding 5-0 victory over Niger, maintaining their flawless record in Group E. Walid Regragui\u2019s side remain the only African team with a 100% winning streak, while also topping the scoring charts with 19 goals in just six games \u2014 an average of over three per match.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"844\" data-end=\"1287\">This achievement marks Morocco\u2019s third consecutive World Cup appearance, a first in the nation\u2019s history. It also sets the stage for an historic year, with the team preparing to host the Africa Cup of Nations later in 2025. Emerging talents such as Ismael Saibari and Hamza Igamane added their names to the scoresheet against Niger, underscoring the squad\u2019s depth as Morocco look to build on their groundbreaking 2022 semifinal run in Qatar.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2819\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2819\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2819\" src=\"https:\/\/genesisekucalenimedia.com\/edn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/morocco-seal-win-250905g-1200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2819\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ismael Saibari of Morocco celebrates goal with teammates during the 2026 World Cup Qualifier football match between Morocco and Niger at Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat on 05 September 2025\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 data-start=\"1289\" data-end=\"1329\">Wan-Bissaka\u2019s International Switch<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1330\" data-end=\"1682\">While Morocco celebrated, the Democratic Republic of Congo found a new spark. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the London-born right-back who previously represented England at youth level, finally made his senior debut for the Leopards. He played a role in their 4-1 win over South Sudan, a result that keeps alive hopes of a first World Cup appearance since 1974.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1684\" data-end=\"1956\">The 26-year-old, now at West Ham United, had long been caught behind the likes of Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Reece James in England\u2019s pecking order. His switch of allegiance could prove decisive for DR Congo as they push for qualification.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1958\" data-end=\"1978\">The Road Ahead<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1979\" data-end=\"2241\">With Morocco already assured of a place, the spotlight shifts to the rest of the continent\u2019s contenders. Powerhouses Nigeria and South Africa face mounting pressure in the coming fixtures, as the final stretch of qualifying promises drama and unpredictability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Africa\u2019s road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup entered a decisive stage this week, with Morocco becoming the&hellip;","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2818,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,30],"tags":[49,50,58,66,53,80],"class_list":["post-2816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","category-world","tag-human-interest","tag-international","tag-national","tag-opinion","tag-soccer","tag-south-africa","cs-entry","cs-video-wrap"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - 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