Tunisia Qualify For FIFA World Cup 2026 After 1-0 Win Over Equatorial Guinea

Last Updated:September 09, 2025, 10:21 IST

Tunisia have now qualified for the World Cup seven times and hope to improve on their record of only three victories in 18 matches, having never progressed beyond the first round.

Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane celebrates with teammates after scoring a late winner. (Screengrab)

Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane scored during added time to secure a 1-0 victory for Tunisia against Equatorial Guinea on Monday, ensuring their qualification for the 2026 World Cup in North America. This win gave Tunisia an unbeatable lead in Group H, making them the second African nation to qualify for the tournament after Morocco, who reached the semi-finals in 2022.

Tunisia accumulated 22 points from eight games, placing them 10 points ahead of second-placed Namibia, who have one match left but cannot surpass the Carthage Eagles’ total. Substitute Ben Romdhane, a midfielder for Egyptian and African giants Al Ahly, scored in the 94th minute after receiving a pass from Firas Chaouat. Ben Romdhane also netted the decisive penalty when Tunisia defeated Equatorial Guinea in their third match last year.

“When Firas Chaouat got the ball in the final moments, I knew he would outplay the Equatorial Guinean defender," Ben Romdhane told Tunisian TV. “So I moved forward and positioned myself to score," added the 26-year-old, who joined Ahly this year from Hungarian club Ferencvaros.

“It was the toughest match of the qualifiers, and we anticipated this due to the conditions, the pitch, and the humidity," said fellow midfielder Ferjani Sassi. “We adapted to the circumstances. They had many chances, but we were prepared. We believed in ourselves until the very end."

Tunisia commenced the match in Malabo with players from nine different countries, including Hannibal Mejbri from Premier League side Burnley. The Eagles are led by former centre-back Sami Trabelsi, who captained Tunisia at the 1998 World Cup in France.

Tunisia have now qualified for the World Cup seven times and hope to improve on their record of only three victories in 18 matches, having never progressed beyond the first round. North Africa is likely to have four representatives at the 2026 World Cup, with Egypt and Algeria expected to join Morocco and Tunisia.

Egypt will qualify if they win a top-of-the-table Group A clash in Burkina Faso on Tuesday, while Algeria need three more points to secure Group G after a 0-0 draw against Guinea. Uganda and Mozambique reduced the gap behind Algeria to four points with 2-0 wins over Somalia and Botswana, respectively.

Algeria will face bottom team Somalia away and host Uganda in October, putting them on course to qualify for the World Cup for the fifth time. Morocco showcased their depth by resting several stars, including Paris Saint-German full-back Achraf Hakimi, during a 2-0 Group E win over Zambia in Ndola.

A full capacity crowd of 50,000 witnessed Youssef en Nesyri score early in the first half and Hamza Igamane score even earlier in the second half. Morocco, who eliminated Spain and Portugal en route to the 2022 semi-finals, boast the only 100 percent record in Africa qualifying, having won seven matches.

Group I leaders Ghana moved closer to their fifth World Cup appearance in six editions by edging Mali 1-0 in Accra, thanks to an early second-half goal from Alexander Djiku. Ghana have 19 points, three more than Madagascar. Top seeds Mali can no longer win the section and their sole hope of advancing lies in being among the best four second-placed teams.

The remaining 15 matchday 8 fixtures are scheduled for Tuesday, with table-toppers Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Cape Verde, and reigning African champions Ivory Coast aiming to extend their leads. Africa is guaranteed nine places at the 48-nation World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the number of qualifiers potentially rising to 10 after inter-continental play-offs next March.

With AFP Inputs

Feroz Khan

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital...Read More

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital...

Read More

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News sports Tunisia Qualify For FIFA World Cup 2026 After 1-0 Win Over Equatorial Guinea

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