2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF first round
The first round of CAF matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 7 to 17 October 2015.
Format
A total of 26 teams played home-and-away over two legs. The 13 winners advanced to the second round.Seeding
The draw for the first round was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK, at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia.The seeding was based on the FIFA World Rankings of July 2015. The 26 teams are seeded into two pots:
- Pot 4 contained the teams ranked 1–13.
- Pot 5 contained the teams ranked 14–26.
Note: Bolded teams qualified for the second round.
| Pot 4 | Pot 5 |