A sizable contingent of African soccer players who represent North American clubs and whose national teams are still in the running for a berth at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar learned their qualifying fates Tuesday.
The 40 remaining nations were drawn into 10 groups – A through J – of four teams in Cairo by the Confederation of African Football.
Each group will compete in a home-and-away round robin. The 10 group winners will then be paired for home-and-away knockout games to determine Africa’s five allocated World Cup berths.
Fifteen of the players in those groups compete in either Major League Soccer, the second-tier USL Championship, or in third-tier USL League One. Seven of the 10 groups contain at least one of these players.
Group A is headlined by Algeria, which is seeking its fifth World Cup berth and features Montreal Impact midfielder Saphir Taider. Group A also includes Burkina Faso, Niger, and Djibouti.
Three of the four teams in Group C have players currently competing in North America. The group is led by Nigeria; followed by Cape Verde Islands with Jamiro Monteiro (MLS, Philadelphia Union); Central African Republic with midfielder Wilfried Zahibo (MLS, New England Revolution); and Liberia with midfielder Joel Johnson (USL Championship, Charlotte Independence) and forwards Seku Conneh (USL Championship, Las Vegas Lights) and Sam Johnson (MLS, Real Salt Lake).
Group E contains Mali; Kenya; Rwanda with defender Abdul Rwatubyaye (MLS, Colorado Rapids); and Uganda with Michael Azira (MLS, Chicago Fire FC).
Group F features Egypt, Gabon, Angola, and Libya with fullback Mohamed El Munir (MLS, Los Angeles FC) and winger Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (MLS, New York City FC).
Defenders Jonathan Mensah and Harrison Afful (MLS, Columbus Crew SC) play for Ghana, which has qualified for three World Cups and headlines Group G with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.
Group I has Morocco, Guinea-Bissau, Sudan and Guinea, which boasts the talents of winger Lass Bangoura (MLS, Vancouver Whitecaps)
Finally, Group J contains the Democratic Republic of Congo; Benin; Madagascar, which has defender Romain Metanire (MLS, Minnesota United); and Tanzania with midfielder Ally Hamis Ng’anzi (USL League One, Forward Madison FC).
Groups B, D and H do not feature any North American players.
Here are all 10 qualification groups, complete with any player who represents a North American club and has earned an international call-up in the last year:
Group A
Algeria – M Saphir Taider (Montreal Impact/MLS)
Burkina Faso
Niger
Djibouti
Group B
Tunisia
Zambia
Mauritania
Equatorial Guinea
Group C
Nigeria
Cape Verde Islands – M Jamiro Monteiro (Philadelphia Union/MLS)
Central African Republic – M Wilfried Zahibo (New England Revolution/MLS)
Liberia – M Joel Johnson (Charlotte Independence/USL Championship), F Seku Conneh (Las Vegas Lights/USL Championship), F Sam Johnson (Real Salt Lake/MLS)
Group D
Cameroon
Ivory Coast
Kenya
Malawi
Group E
Mali
Uganda – M Michael Azira (Chicago Fire FC/ MLS)
Mozambique
Rwanda – D Abdul Rwatubyaye (Colorado Rapids/MLS)
Group F
Egypt
Gabon
Libya – D Mohamed El Munir (Los Angeles FC/MLS) , M Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (New York City/MLS)
Angola
Group G
Ghana – D Harrison Afful, D Jonathan Mensah (Columbus Crew SC)
South Africa
Zimbabwe
Ethiopia
Group H
Senegal
Republic of the Congo
Namibia
Togo
Group I
Morocco
Guinea – M Lass Bangoura (Vancouver Whitecaps, on loan from Rayo Vallocano)
Guinea-Bissau
Sudan
Group J
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Benin
Madagascar – D Romain Metanire (Minnesota United/MLS)
Tanzania – M Ally Hamis Ng’anzi (Forward Madison/USL League One)