Gambia — Somalia
The qualifying draw put Gambia and Somalia in Group C, so they play each other twice.
Gambia come in 83 places higher in the FIFA ranking (116 against 199).
Both legs
| Matchday | Home | Away | Match window | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gambia | Somalia | September 21 – October 6, 2026 | to be confirmed |
| 5 | Somalia | Gambia | March 22 – March 30, 2027 | to be confirmed |
Kick-off times are shown as to be confirmed because CAF has published windows, not individual dates.
The group context
Both sides play six qualifiers in Group C. How many go through has not been announced.
Common questions
- When do Gambia and Somalia play?
- Two matches, on matchdays 1 and 5, inside the September 21 – October 6, 2026 and March 22 – March 30, 2027 windows. CAF has published the pairings and the windows but not the dates or kick-off times: those are agreed federation by federation a few weeks before each window. We show them as to be confirmed rather than invent them.
- What is the head-to-head record between Gambia and Somalia?
- No meetings between Gambia and Somalia appear in our records. That is not the same as never having played: coverage of African football before the 2000s is patchy in every public database, including ours. What it does mean is that neither side arrives with a recent result against the other.
- Which side is stronger on paper?
- Gambia is the higher-ranked side, at #116 against #199 — a gap of 83 places on the FIFA list published on July 20, 2026. Over six qualifying matches that gap matters less than it looks: home advantage, travel and squad availability during international windows decide more African qualifiers than ranking does.
- Where can I watch Gambia vs Somalia?
- No broadcaster is confirmed for either country yet. Rights to the 2027 edition are almost entirely unsold: so far only the national broadcasters of Kenya and Tanzania have been named. Lists you find elsewhere describe the 2025 tournament in Morocco.