In a football scene that has seen plenty of controversy and chaos off the pitch, Cameroon remain steady on the pitch. The Indomitable Lions remain the team to beat in Group D with Lusophone nations Cape Verde and Angola eager to boost their chances. Read more below on all three nations as well as Libya who could usurp Cameroon as group leaders if things go their way in March.
Group D Table (4 matches played)
Points | |
Cameroon | 8 |
Libya | 7 |
Cape Verde | 7 |
Angola | 6 |
Mauritius | 4 |
Eswatini | 0 |
The group winner qualifies for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Four of nine group runners-up qualify for a playoff to determine Africa's representative at the intercontinental qualifying playoff.
March Fixtures
March 19- Eswatini vs Cameroon (Mbombela, South Africa)
March 20- Cape Verde vs Mauritius (Praia, Cape Verde)
March 20- Libya vs Angola (Benghazi, Libya)
March 23- Eswatini vs Mauritius (Mbombela, South Africa)
March 25- Angola vs Cape Verde (Luanda, Angola)
March 25- Cameroon vs Libya (Yaoundé, Cameroon)
Evaluation
The group appears to be Cameroon's to lose at this point. With a very winnable opening match against Eswatini and a home clash against closest competitors Libya, the Indomitable Lions have an opportunity to put distance between themselves and the competition. Lusophone nations Angola and Cape Verde must gain ground and the two will clash in Luanda on March 25 with major implications for the result.
Libya, who have not been able to enjoy home advantage in multiple previous campaigns, will consider the match against Angola a must win in Benghazi. There is plenty to be determine beyond the games of March but this FIFA window will determine who holds the advantage towards holding a top-2 place and which teams will be trying to catch up for the remainder of the qualification cycle.
Key Players
Bryan Mbeumo- Cameroon (Club: Brentford [ENG])
The versatile forward was dearly missed by Cameroon at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations but Mbeumo's steady form in the English Premier League has been something to watch. A player who can play on either wing or as a striker up top, the 25-year-old's high work rate and ability to create or finish goals lightens the duties on aging striker Vincent Aboubakar.
Cameroon have a good opportunity to establish their dominance in a relatively weak group and having a healthy Mbeumo available makes a world of difference to an Indomitable Lions side that is performing well under coach Marc Brys.
Faisal Al Badri- Libya (Club: Al Hilal Benghazi)
Libya, fueled by the return of home matches, are showing why they are always a capable team this qualifying cycle. Al Badri, the 34-year-old veteran playmaker who plays with Benghazi club Al Hilal, is enjoying excellent form for club and country.
Dropped for the Mediterranean Knights' last two crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations games, it is difficult to know if new coach Aliou Cissé will utilize Al Badri. However, In a Libyan team that can be rather underwhelming in attack and tends to depend on strong defensive organization, this will be the last World Cup opportunity for the attacking midfielder and he can provide the moment of brilliance that can make a difference.
Fredy- Angola (Club: Bodrum FK [TUR])
Often times people tend to focus on the electrifying dribblers and goal scorers in national team competitions but forget that these matches tend to be closely contested with coaches taking as few risks as possible. One thing that can give a team the edge is experience, guile and set pieces and Angolan captain Fredy is the source of technical ability for the Palancas Negras.
An accurate passer of the ball from his central midfield position, the Turkish-based playmaker creates many goals for Angola through his accurate set pieces. With a difficult and likely low scoring game upcoming in Libya before hosting evenly matched Cape Verde, look for Fredy to have a major impact and create opportunities for Angola's pacey attackers.