Soccer-Pairings set for next month’s African World Cup playoffs

Nigeria will take on Gabon and Cameroon will play the Democratic Republic of Congo in the World Cup African playoff semi-finals next month, the latest FIFA rankings have confirmed. The four countries all advanced to the playoffs as the best runners-up across the nine African groups.

There is the possibility of an added slot for Africa at next year’s finals with the winners of next month’s playoffs advancing to an intercontinental playoff tournament in March from which the last two World Cup places will be decided. The pairings for the African playoffs have the highest-ranked team in the FIFA rankings of October 23 playing the lowest-ranked, while the second-highest face the third-highest.

FIFA, however, issued the October rankings on Friday, earlier than it had previously scheduled. Nigeria rose to 41st with Cameroon 54th and DR Congo 60th.

Gabon jumped two places to 77th from the September 18 rankings. The semis will be on November 13 before a deciding match three days later, with the winners progressing.

Morocco is hosting next month’s playoffs but the venues are yet to be announced. The group phase of the African qualifiers concluded on Tuesday with all the group winners qualifying automatically for next year's tournament in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ken Ferris)