Tunisia closes its successful qualifying run for 2026 World Cup with 3-0 win over Namibia

By Canadian Press on October 13, 2025.

With its spot in the 2026 World Cup already secured, Tunisia closed its African qualifying run with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Namibia on Monday.

Ali Abdi converted a 28th-minute penalty kick and Hannibal Mejbri and Ferjani Sassi added second-half goals for the hosts.

Tunisia won Group H with 28 points from 10 matches. It finished 13 points ahead of second-place Namibia.

The nine group winners automatically qualify for the World Cup. The four best runners-up play in a mini tournament of two semifinals and a final in November.

The winning team advances to FIFA’s playoff tournament against opponents from Asia, CONCACAF, South America and Oceania.

In other Group H matches, Equatorial Guinea drew 1-1 with Liberia at home, while last-place Sao Tome and Principe beat Malawi 1-0 for its first win in the group. In Group B, South Sudan drew 0-0 with visiting Togo.

On Sunday, 2010 quarterfinalist Ghana became the fifth African nation to qualify, joining Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Morocco at next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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The Associated Press