FIFA announces 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Potential Ghana vs Nigeria showdown

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FIFA announces 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Potential Ghana vs Nigeria showdown: Ghana News

has unveiled the pots for the African qualifying draw for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Ghana, a four-time African champion, finds itself in Pot 2 and could potentially face their long-time rivals Nigeria in the qualifying campaign.

Being placed in Pot 2 means that Ghana might also be drawn against formidable opponents such as Algeria, Egypt, , , , Mali, and .

The draw, scheduled for July 12, will determine the groups for the qualifying campaign leading up to the 2026 tournament.

categorized the countries into six pots based on the latest world ranking. Regrettably, Ghana, ranked 11th on the continent, did not secure a place in Pot 1, reserved for the highest-ranked teams. As a consequence, the  will face a challenging path to secure qualification for the tournament.

The qualifying draw will divide the countries into nine groups, each comprising six teams. The group winners will earn direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup.

However, the four best second-placed teams will compete in a mini-tournament, with the winner advancing to an intercontinental playoff.

Ghana vs Nigeria

There is the possibility of a playoff rematch between Ghana and Nigeria, reminiscent of their previous encounter for the 2022 World Cup qualification.

In that thrilling playoff, the emerged victorious on away goals, securing their place in the tournament held in Qatar.

2026 World Cup Qualifiers

Below are the Pots

Pot 1Pot 2Pot 3Pot 4Pot 5Pot 6
NigeriaGhanaLesotho
BeninGambiaComorosSouth 
South Africa
AlgeriaCape VerdeMauritaniaTogoRwandaChad
DR CongoCongoTanzaniaSao Tome
GuineaEthiopiaDjibouti
MaliCentral African RepEswatiniSeychelles
EgyptGabonGuinea BissauMalawiBotswanaEritrea
Equatorial GuineaLibyaSomalia
Distribution of teams across the pots for the African qualifying draw for the 2026 World Cup

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