South Africa v Nigeria
Pressure is mounting on Nigeria after a poor start to their qualifying campaign. They missed out in 2022 and go into the seventh round of games with only one victory.
The Super Eagles have drawn all three home games 1-1 and must beat Rwanda in Uyo on Saturday before a showdown with the group leaders, South Africa, three days later in Bloemfontein.
However, FIFA is yet to decide what punishment to impose on Bafana Bafana for fielding Teboho Mokoena – who should have been suspended for picking up two yellow cards in previous matches – when they beat Lesotho in March.
Cape Verde v Cameroon
The Blue Sharks have made astonishing progress since reaching the quarter-finals on their Africa Cup of Nations debut in 2013 and are in a great position to qualify for their first World Cup.
They have a one-point advantage over Cameroon in Group D and welcome the Indomitable Lions, who are hoping to make it to their ninth finals, on Tuesday in Praia after travelling to Mauritius.
Libya and Angola are not out of it, given that the four best second-placed teams in Africa’s nine groups will face off to be the continent’s sole representatives in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Uruguay v Peru
A draw for Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay would secure a fifth straight qualification for the World Cup, although they will be without Federico Valverde and Darwin Núñez for the meeting with Peru on Friday in Montevideo.
Peru know only a victory will keep alive their chances of finishing seventh and they are also relying on Bolivia and Venezuela to slip up.
The former Newcastle player Nolberto Solano scored the last time Peru beat Uruguay away, in 2004, and they will hope to set up a grand finale against Paraguay in the last round of fixtures.
Israel v Italy
The new Azzurri manager, Gennaro Gattuso, who was appointed after Luciano Spalletti was sacked in June, faces an uphill battle to revive their hopes of qualifying for a first World Cup since 2014 when he begins his tenure against Estonia on Friday.
The Nagyerdei Stadion in the Hungarian city of Debrecen will host Italy’s qualifier against Israel on Monday before the sides are scheduled to meet again in Udine next month in a fixture that the city’s mayor has called to be postponed over security concerns.
Gattuso needs two victories in the international window to give his side a fighting chance of overhauling Norway, who go for a fifth qualifying win in a row against Moldova on Tuesday, for an automatic slot.
Hungary v Portugal
Six of the groups in European qualifying contain only four countries, so there is no room for mistakes when the teams begin their campaigns this week.
Tuesday’s meeting between Dominik Szoboszlai’s Hungary and a star-studded Portugal side still boasting the 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo is the most eye-catching match of the first two rounds this week.
Hungary haven’t qualified for a World Cup since Mexico 86 and have high hopes of ending their long wait in a group that also contains the Republic of Ireland and Armenia.
Marco Rossi’s side travel to Dublin on Saturday before the showdown in Budapest.
Egypt v Burkina Faso
The Pharaohs powered their way to the top of their Confederation of African Football qualifying group with five wins and a draw from their opening six games and look poised to seal qualification for only the third time.
After hosting Ethiopia on Friday, Egypt must travel to Ouagadougou to play their chief rivals, Burkina Faso, and they know two wins would be enough.
Mohamed Salah – who in his only previous appearance at the World Cup in 2018 had just returned from injury after clashing with Sergio Ramos in the Champions League final – will want to ensure they make it this time, having seen Sadio Mané’s Senegal beat them in a penalty shootout in a playoff three years ago.
PHOTO CAPTION: Nigeria’s Paul Onuachu wins a header during their World Cup qualifier against South Africa in June 2024, which finished 1-1.
