Published 8 hours ago
Forbes <a href="https://absafricatv.com/nanta-pushes-for-tourism-growth-in-africa/” title=”NANTA Pushes for Tourism Growth in Africa”>Africa
Nick Said
From Cape Verde’s fairytale to Morocco’s consistency, the continent leaves a lasting mark.
Africa had a record nine teams earn a place in the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup, with Morocco again going deepest into the competition by reaching the quarter-finals before they were ousted by France.
There were some scintillating individual performances from players who made their mark and enhanced their reputations on the global stage, dominated by Moroccans, who were comfortably the most accomplished African team.
The list of top African stars at the tournament is led by Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi. The defeat to France was not his best outing, but overall, the right-back was the engine behind his side’s run and will probably retain his African Footballer of the Year trophy at the end of the year.
Unsung teammate Neil El Aynaoui put in a lot of work trying to link the defence and attack while attempting to press and win the ball from the opposition in midfield in a vital role. His work rate was incredible.
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Eighteen-year-old Moroccan Ayyoub Bouaddi burst onto the scene, starting against Brazil and Scotland in his side’s opening two games, with his hard running and relentless work ethic. He turned down France to play for Morocco and is a genuine continental star of the future.
Emam Ashour was the top performer for Egypt, who had their best World Cup tournament by reaching the last-16, scoring twice and proving full of running with his usual high work rate. It will be interesting to see whether the 28-year-old is lured away from Al Ahly to sign for a European club.
Egypt did not use tricky winger Haissem Hassan in their group games but unleashed him for the knockout-round win over Australia and against Argentina, when he had an outstanding game. The 24-year-old previously played for France at under-17 level.
The 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha had a brilliant tournament, becoming an internet sensation and receiving a massive tribute from Lionel Messi, who approached him after their last-32 game to swap shirts.
In the world of international football, there are few bigger compliments than that.
It was something of a surprise that the 23-year-old Amad Diallo was taken off at half-time for Ivory Coast when they beat Curaçao in their final group game to ensure their place in the last 32, and was then left on the bench against Norway. But he came on to demonstrate his skills with a superb individual goal and was excellent when on the pitch.
DR Congo’s elimination at the hands of England was not unexpected, but they did come close to an upset in Atlanta. English-born right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka was the best of the Congolese at the tournament and is a player who might yet give them a chance of winning an Africa Cup of Nations title next year.
South Africa reached the knockout stages for the first time, and that was largely due to the magnificent Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who was commanding in every game.
He always seemed destined for big things, but there are few other players whose reputations were enhanced as much at the tournament as the 20-year-old, with Europe beckoning for him.
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