Abidjan: Ivory Coast and Senegal claimed Africa’s final two automatic qualifying spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as both sides registered victories on Tuesday. Senegal celebrated a decisive 4-0 home victory over Mauritania, securing their position at the top of Group B.

According to BBC, Senegal’s triumph was spearheaded by Sadio Mane, who delivered a crucial free-kick just before half-time. Mane, a former Liverpool star, further extended the lead with a second goal, followed by a remarkable solo effort from Iliman Ndiaye. Habib Diallo completed the scoring in the late stages of the match. This win allowed the reigning continental champions to finish a point ahead of Gabon. Gabon managed a 2-0 victory against Burundi in Franceville, with late goals from Bryan Meyo and Mario Lemina.

Ivory Coast also celebrated success, as they qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time since 2014. Remarkably, the Ivorians completed their 10-game group campaign without conceding a single goal, a feat matched only by Tunisia on the continent. Both Ivory Coast and Senegal join Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, and South Africa in securing their spots at next year’s World Cup finals.

An additional team may still join this group if they succeed in the upcoming continental play-offs. Four teams—Cameroon, DR Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria—finished as the highest-ranked second-placed teams across the nine groups. One of these teams could become Africa’s 10th representative at the expanded 48-team World Cup set to take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. However, the Confederation of African Football has yet to announce a date for the play-off draw.