The road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 is gradually taking shape, with African nations contesting the nine guaranteed places for Africa at the global showpiece, with a possible tenth on the line.
With the stakes at an all-time high, the qualifiers have been nothing short of goals with some matches providing high-scoring outcomes, while others being highly tactical and closely contested.
CAFOnline takes a look at the top five scorers of the qualifiers following the conclusion of Match Day 5 on Saturday, 22 March.
Mohamed Salah (Egypt) – 6
The red-hot Mohamed Salah is replicating his club form in the national team with six goals of the 13 scored by the Pharaohs coming from the forward.
Egypt led Group A with 13 points from four wins and a draw, with Salah leading the overall scoring charts of the qualifiers after Match Day 5.
The Liverpool forward scored four times in their opening round of the qualifiers where they secured a commanding 6-0 win over Djibouti. He then contributed with a much-needed equaliser against Guinea-Bissau on Match Day 4, before scoring against Ethiopia in a 2-0 win on Friday to register six goals in five matches for Egypt.
Mahmoud Trézéguet (Egypt) – 5
Second on the goalscoring charts is Mahmoud Trézéguet, who is just one goal shy of matching teammate Mohamed Salah’s six goals.
Trézéguet has five goals, including a brace in a 2-0 win over Sierra Leonne on Match Day 2, a solitary goal in their 6-0 win over Djibouti, and another brace against Burkina Faso on Match Day 5.
Denis Bouanga (Gabon) – 5
Denis Bouanga also sits on five impressive goals for Gabon. The MLS star found his first of the qualifiers in a 2-1 win over Kenya on Match Day 1.
The forward continued with his goal-scoring form on Match Day 2 with a contribution to another 2-1 win which came at the expense of Burundi.
Bouanga returned on Match Day 4 with another goal contribution to a 3-2 win over The Gambia, before getting his fourth and fifth through a brace in a 3-0 win over Seychelles on Match Day 5.
Jordan Ayew (Ghana) – 5
Captain of the Black Stars, Jordan Ayew is leading his nation from the front as the country’s top goalscorer of the qualifiers.
The skipper’s hat-trick in the Black Stars’ 4-3 win over Central Africa Republic, which was preceded by a last-minute strike in a dramatic 2-1 win over Mali has put Ghana in promising position of the qualifiers.
The skipper made it five with a penalty conversion in a 5-0 drubbing of Chad in Match Day 5 of the qualifiers, as the Black Stars continues the chase to a World Cup spot.
Kamory Doumbia (Mali) – 5
Mali’s attacking midfielder, Kamory Doumbia has not only contributed to the Eagles’ build up play but has found the back of the net five times for his nation’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers campaign.
Doumbia first netted in a 3-1 win over Chad on Match Day 1 of the qualifiers to open his account.
The second came for Doumbia in an evenly contested 1-1 draw on Match Day 2 against Central African Republic before getting the third in a 2-1 loss against Ghana on Match Day 3.
Doumbia’s fourth and fifth came on Match Day 5 with a stunning brace that contributed to Mali’s 3-0 win over Comoros.
Other notable scorers of the qualifiers include
Musa Barrow (Gambia) 4
Rayan, Raveloson (Madagascar) 4
Steve Mounie (Benin) 3
Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso) 3
Lassina Traore (Burkina Faso) 3.
-CAF
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