The FIFA World Cup logo for the Russia 2018 edition
FIFA and CAF have determined that the draw for the third round of African Zone qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ will be held at CAF headquarters in Cairo on 24 June 2016.
This stage of the preliminary competition will involve 20 teams drawn into five four-team groups, with sides playing each other home and away on a round-robin basis. All five group winners will qualify automatically for Russia 2018.
This is the latest step in a qualifying campaign that began for Africa in October 2015 with 53 nations taking part.
Round 1 was contested by the 26 lowest-ranked member associations, the 13 winners from which went on to a second stage against the confederation's remaining 27 nations.
Just 20 teams now remain from that second round, all of whom will be eagerly awaiting this Round 3 draw, the procedures for which - including pots and seeded teams - will be announced in due course.
