Morocco’s capital, Rabat, has been confirmed as the host city for next month’s African World Cup playoffs, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Wednesday.
According to CAF, three stadiums have been selected to stage the matches, which will determine Africa’s representative for the global playoffs.
The mini-tournament will begin on 13 November, with Nigeria facing Gabon at 16:00 GMT (5 p.m. Nigerian Time) followed by Cameroon taking on the Democratic Republic of Congo at 19:00 GMT. Both fixtures will take place at separate venues in Rabat.
A draw scheduled for Thursday will determine which of the two opening matches is held at the Stade El Barid and which at the Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex.
The winners of those semi-finals will then meet in a deciding match on 16 November at the Stade Prince Heritier Moulay Abdellah. The victor will advance to the intercontinental playoffs in March, keeping their hopes alive of reaching the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Nine African nations have already secured qualification for the finals by topping their respective groups. The November playoffs will decide the continent’s potential 10th and final representative for next year’s tournament.
Rabat is also set for a busy football calendar, with four stadiums in the city to be used for the Africa Cup of Nations finals, which kick off on 21 December.
The newly built Stade Prince Héritier Moulay Abdellah will also host the AFCON final on 18 January, rounding off a packed schedule for Moroccan football.