Africa began the 2026 FIFA World Cup with 10 teams. After the group stage, we were down to 9—Tunisia failing to advance from Group F. The Round of 32 dramatically narrowed down Africa’s chances, bringing our participating teams down to 2, Morocco and Egypt. After Egypt’s controversial defeat to Argentina on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, all eyes were on Morocco as the continent’s last hope of a semi-final berth. But that was not to be. Goals from French forwards Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembélé meant the Confederation of African Football (CAF)-appointed 2026 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) winners would not make the semi-finals at the second time of asking. And now, there are no African teams left.
Unless you have been living under an internet-resistant rock, or somehow engineered the most niche social media and news timelines known to humanity, you should be aware that this World Cup was, and still is, important to the continent. For the first time, we had 10 teams participating, an increase from 5 at the Qatar 2022 edition: 9 per CAF’s quota and 1 obtained via DR Congo’s intercontinental play-offs win over Jamaica on 31 March, 2026. Additionally, it was coming off one of the more chaotic AFCON finals in recent history. Senegal had defeated hosts Morocco in a rather controversial 18 January final, a decision that was reversed by CAF roughly two months later, on 17 March 2026.
Nigeria missing out for a second straight edition was also a major talking point, alongside anticipation for performances by Mundial debutants Cabo Verde and statistical overperformers, DR Congo. This relevance was further consolidated by saturated internet chatter leading up to the World Cup, which has barely let up in the weeks since. Even now that all African contestants are out, there’s much to reflect on concerning our losses as we prepare for 2030.
The fact that 9 teams made it out of the group stage is worth applauding Cannes-style. Cabo Verde qualified from Group H with Spain and Uruguay, holding the former to a goalless draw despite being 61 spots apart in the FIFA/Coca Cola World Rankings. Ghana replicated the same result against No. 4 ranked England—down to the 61-place difference—in qualifying from Group L. DR Congo amassed 4 points in Group C, a feat that involved holding Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal to a one-all draw, courtesy of a lone Yoane Wissa strike. Despite all 3 being third in their groups, it was enough to secure spots in the RO32.
South Africa overturned a horror-show outing in the opening match against Mexico, with 1 goal each in a win and draw against South Korea and Czechia, respectively, to qualify. After losses against France and Norway, Senegal qualified in third place by putting 5 goals past Iraq—any less and they would have been out of the running. However, the Teranga Lions’ sustained sloppy defence and reliance on an ageing core would prove to be a sharp contrast from their AFCON 2026 heights. In the end, this combination was also their undoing.
Another positive was the daring performances by DR Congo and Cabo Verde in the R032. Paired against England and Argentina, respectively, the two nations were counted out as walkovers, but instead served some of the tournament’s most interesting and memorable matches. About 7 minutes into the DR Congo-England tie on July 3rd, Brian Cipenga, a left winger for the Spanish second division side, Almeria, slotted past the English defence, stunning the Atlanta Stadium into silence. They held on to this lead for 69 minutes afterward before conceding a Harry Kane header and his eventual match winner. But up until the last seconds of the game, DR Congo kept attacking, and, in their half of the field, defended the most ridiculous attempts at goal, with world-class saves from 31-year-old keeper Lionel Mpasi.
As if inspired by this resilient showing, Cabo Verde took the game to the World champions just 2 days later. When this writer rushed into a communal TV room sometime after 1 AM, arriving just in time for makeshift winger Lopes Cabral’s 103rd-minute-equaliser to make it 2-all, the entire place was in pandemonium. As was social media. How does an island nation with a population smaller than some LGAs in Nigeria hold Messi and the Albicelestes to ransom? By playing free-flowing, pressure-absorbing, attacking football, that’s how. A lesson countries like Senegal and Ivory Coast could have done well to learn.
Alas, Belgium and Norway would serve this lesson days prior. In one of the most harrowing capitulations of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Senegal wasted a 2-goal lead against a washed Belgium side, conceding 2 goals in the final 4 minutes of the regular 90 to take the game to extra time, and then a penalty in extra time to be knocked out. It wasn’t just that they collapsed. It was the lack of what many have termed a ‘killer mentality’ to see out the game completely. Many commentators also implied that the rigidity of both the Senegalese and Ivorian coaches, Pape Thiaw and Emerse Faé, also contributed to their losses. Thiaw’s selections and substitutions were so baffling that it’s no surprise midfielder Papa Gueye, who scored the 2026 AFCON-winning goal, publicly stated he wouldn’t be returning to the team until changes were made to the technical team. A shame, considering the nation’s depth of football talent.
From a technical level, both countries aren’t so far off from Morocco, who lost out in the quarterfinals to France, or Egypt, who suffered a controversial 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the RO16. Controversial calls in the Egypt game include VAR ruling out Yasser Ibrahim’s goal just before half-time and the referee’s refusal to check a foul on ex-Liverpool star, Mohammed Salah, in the build up to Argentina’s winner. This would neither be the first nor last officiating controversy involving Argentina. And not the worst involving FIFA, as a whole. FIFA’s decision to reverse a red card ruling on the USA’s Folarin Balogun, at the behest of Trump, has remained a talking point heading into the finals, with inquiries from all sides pouring in. However, the embattled African champions can’t even claim to have been wronged. They played as if respectful of the opponents—bewildering given the team’s star-studded nature and the weakened state of a Belgium miles off from their Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne-led Golden Generation.
As the tournament draws to a close on Sunday, 19 July, 2026, the success of Morocco and Cabo Verde’s football model is one that other African countries—Nigeria and her comedic sports administration, in particular—need to take note of and possibly attempt tailored replications. Morocco currently holds the titles of FIFA Arab Cup, African Nations Championship (CHAN), U-20 FIFA World Cup, and U-17 AFCON. They were also finalists at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where they lost to Nigeria. This continuous success rests on King Mohammed VI’s three pillars: good governance, financial investment and competent human resources, which have been at the core of national development since 2008. To understand the extent of the development, Morocco will jointly host the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain, and even that is far from the end goal in their plan, as this Aljazeera article explains. All levels of football are catered for. Finance is monitored closely. And, like Cabo Verde, players from the diaspora are courted, with an emphasis on technical football, at the same level as the European behemoths.
It’s not so much a funding gap as it is about consistency and clear-cut roadmaps. We’re a football-mad continent that took 9 of 10 teams out of the group stage, clear of Europe’s 13 of 16. What’s left is ensuring even more participation at the higher KO stages. A decision that’s dependent on individual countries, but also greater intentionality from a CAF body unwilling to cater to its interests—case in point being the Somali referee denied entry to the USA.
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