With just one day left before the end of African qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has lifted the lid on the organization of the play-offs. In a letter sent to the various federations on Thursday, the body confirmed that these decisive matches will be held on November 13 and 16 in Morocco.

These play-offs will involve the four best runners-up from the nine groups in the African zone. They will take the form of a mini-knockout tournament, consisting of semi-finals and then a final. The victorious team in this continental tournament will earn the right to compete in the FIFA Intercontinental Play-Off Tournament, the final step towards a historic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

To determine the four participating teams, CAF will rely on the FIFA rankings updated after the October international window. This ranking will be used to establish the order of the best runners-up, according to specific criteria.

In its correspondence, CAF also reiterated the terms for calculating points: results obtained against the lowest-ranked team in each group, or against a team that has withdrawn, will not be taken into account. This measure aims to ensure sporting fairness, particularly following Eritrea's withdrawal since the start of the qualifiers.

Although the Moroccan stadiums that will host the competition are not yet known, this choice of Morocco, a country renowned for the quality of its infrastructure, demonstrates once again the confidence placed by CAF in the Cherifian kingdom for the organization of major African competitions.