World Cup 2026: Can sub-Saharan Africa outdo noisy neighbours from north?

1 week ago 16

Africa’s show astatine World Cups peaked astatine Qatar 2022 erstwhile Morocco became the archetypal broadside from the continent to scope the semifinal stage.

Even their quarterfinal quality was noteworthy – the Atlas Lions were lone the 4th African federation to get there.

SENEGAL

World Cup Appearances: Four – 2002, 2018, 2022 and 2026
Best finish: Quarterfinals
Overall record: P12 W5 D3 L4 F16 A17
FIFA ranking: 14
Prediction: Eliminated astatine quarterfinal stage

Senegal caput to World Cup 2026 with a burning consciousness of injustice firing their campaign. The Lions of Teranga were stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) rubric by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which decided the mid-game walk-off by the Senegalese players and unit voided January’s last – which was aboriginal awarded to Morocco, on with the trophy, arsenic a 3-0 win.

In 2002, Senegal upset the likelihood and reached the ⁠quarter-finals successful their World Cup debut astatine the tourney co-hosted by Japan and South Korea.

More than 2 decades later, expectations are moving precocious – possibly carrying the top anticipation connected each African teams, including Morocco.

The extent of the 26-man squad is seen arsenic their top spot implicit continental neighbours, but their prima powerfulness is besides envied by rivals.

Sadio Mane remains the country’s top export. Although midfield kingpin Pape Gueye, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and skipper Kalidou Koulibaly would grace astir immoderate broadside astatine the tournament.

All 3 are French-born and different changeable astatine the two-time winners of the contention is successful their sights.

A 1-0 triumph against past defending champions France astatine the 2002 variation announced Senegal arsenic a rising footballing powerhouse. Their archetypal Group ⁠I brushwood this clip astir is against Didier Deschamps broadside successful New York connected June 16.

“It’s ever a pleasance to play against France. It’s a state we cognize well,” said Senegal manager Pape Bouna Thiaw, who moved to France aged 17.

“If I suffer adjacent a 2nd of my content that I tin triumph the World Cup with Senegal, I volition measurement down,” helium added.

Senegal’s radical is completed by Iraq and Norway.

Senegal subordinate Sadio Mane(10) waves to the assemblage aft the crippled astatine Bank of America Stadium

GHANA

World Cup Appearances: Five – 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022 and 2026
Best finish: Quarterfinals
Overall record: P15 W5 D3 L7 F18 A23
FIFA ranking: 74
Prediction: Eliminated astatine quarterfinal stage

Ghana person lone missed 1 World Cup since their 2006 debut.

Four years aft their planetary bow they became the 3rd African broadside to scope the quarterfinal signifier astatine Germany 2010.

Their run-up to this tourney has not been smooth, with a precocious alteration of manager arsenic seasoned Portuguese Carlos ⁠Queiroz replaced Otto Addo pursuing a tally of mediocre results.

The German-born erstwhile Ghana planetary led his federation astatine Qatar 2022, but the ⁠failure to suffice for the past AFCON and broad losses successful their 4 high-profile games successful November and March saw him fired successful aboriginal April.

It volition beryllium a 5th successive World Cup for the 73-year-old Queiroz, whose past African acquisition has been with South Africa and Egypt, and who managed Real Madrid, and was Alex Ferguson’s right-hand antheral astatine Manchester United.

Group L, against Panama, England and Croatia, appears to beryllium the ‘group of death’ successful the opening signifier of the competition, but with Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo starring a beardown attack, Ghana volition afloat expect to progress.

“I deliberation that this state has a huge, tremendous potential. This is simply a state of footballers,” Queiroz said.

The Black Stars will, however, beryllium without the injured Tottenham guardant Mohammed Kudus, who has go the team’s talisman and cardinal origin successful their past 2 palmy qualifying campaigns.

Ghana players airs for a squad radical photograph earlier the match

IVORY COAST

World Cup Appearances: Four – 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2026
Best finish: Group Stage
Overall record: P9 W3 D1 L5 F13 A14
FIFA ranking: 34
Prediction: Eliminated astatine quarterfinal stage

The Ivory Coast instrumentality to the planetary signifier aft a 12-year lack – 1 that was hard-felt pursuing the status of immoderate of their top players successful Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba.

It has been a agelong rebuild for the Ivorians, but they person won 2 AFCON titles since their past World Cup appearance.

Their youthful onslaught led by teen attacker Yan Diomande, alongside Simon Adingra and Amad Diallo of ⁠Manchester United, volition beryllium cardinal to their chances.

When hosting AFCON 2 years ago, Ivory Coast were astir eliminated successful the radical stage, but they promoted Emerse Fae from adjunct manager for their last crippled of the opening signifier and went connected to triumph the title.

“I judge Ivory Coast has the imaginable to execute thing exceptional – wherefore not purpose for the final?” Fae said up of the tournament, that volition statesman with matches against Curacao, Ecuador and erstwhile satellite champions Germany.

CAPE VERDE

World Cup Appearances: One – 2026
Best finish: NA
Overall record: NA
FIFA ranking: 69
Prediction: Eliminated astatine radical stage

One of the debutants, Cape Verde – with a colonisation of astir ⁠600,000 – is the 3rd ⁠smallest federation to suffice successful the tournament’s agelong history.

They lone debuted astatine AFCON successful 2013, but did spell connected to scope the quarterfinals – a feat repeated successful 2023.

The task earlier them present – which volition beryllium led by their diaspora of players successful the main – is daunting, with Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and European champions Spain, lying successful hold successful the radical stage.

“We’ve ever been alert of our endowment but ‌we haven’t ever believed that it could instrumentality america overmuch further than we had achieved up to that point,” said manager Bubista, named African Coach of the Year successful 2025.

“Therefore, it took courageousness to look immoderate opponent. The archetypal measurement successful our occurrence was genuinely believing successful our potential. In different words, we changed the players’ mindset.”

Cape Verde's Benchimol celebrates scoring their 3rd goal

SOUTH AFRICA

World Cup Appearances: Four – 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2026
Best finish: Group stage
Overall record: P9 W2 D4 L3 F11 A16
FIFA ranking: 60
Prediction: Eliminated astatine circular of 32 stage

After a burgeoning opening to their instrumentality to the planetary fold, with qualification for the 1998 World Cup, South Africa’s fortunes person taken a downtown successful the past 16 years.

A archetypal quality successful the finals since 2010 feels agelong overdue for a federation hoping to reap the rewards of beardown home maturation arsenic they caput to North America.

South African ‌club Mamelodi Sundowns are the recently crowned African Champions League winners and 8 of their players are successful Bafana Bafana’s squad. There are besides ⁠eight players from Orlando Pirates – the home league champions, who pipped Sundowns to the rubric by a point.

“We tin accidental that we person players of the champion teams of the season. Those guys person overmuch acquisition astatine a precocious level,” South Africa’s Belgian-born manager Hugo Broos said of his 26-man selection.

“I’m surely blessed that Sundowns won the Champions League, due to the fact that I was acrophobic that if they should lose, I would get players who would beryllium precise ⁠disappointed. So present they each person that boost of confidence, and that ⁠helps a lot.”

South Africa are successful the different alleged ‘group of death’ arsenic they instrumentality connected Czech Republic, South Korea and co-hosts Mexico, who they look successful the opening crippled of the tournament

South Africa players airs for a squad radical photo

DR CONGO

World Cup Appearances: Two – 1974 and 2026
Best finish: Group stage
Overall record: P3 W0 D0 L3 F0 A14
FIFA ranking: 46
Prediction: Eliminated astatine quarterfinal stage

DRC’s lone erstwhile quality was erstwhile it was inactive known arsenic Zaire, competing astatine the 1974 finals successful West ⁠Germany – the archetypal African broadside from southbound of the Sahara to spell to the World Cup.

As reigning continental champions, their 9-0 thumping by Yugoslavia did small to rise the emblem for Africa astatine the time.

Much has changed since past for the continent and successful its second-largest country. The Congolese players volition get successful North America with a FIFA ranking that outstrips 3 of the different 5 sub-Saharan qualifiers.

It did instrumentality 2 playoffs to scope this variation – the African legs saw the Congolese destruct Cameroon and Nigeria, earlier edging Jamaica successful other clip successful their intercontinental playoff

Most of the squad are European-born, either successful Belgium, France oregon Switzerland, positive the London-born Aaron Wan-Bissaka, antecedently called up by England but who missed retired connected a headdress done injury.

“We ‌are ‌extremely arrogant due to the fact that a full procreation hasn’t been capable to spot its nationalist squad successful the World Cup but present they volition spot them there,” said their French coach, Sebastien Desabre.

Democratic Republic of Congo's Meschack Elia and squad members applaud fans aft the match

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