Africa’s World Cup report card: Who gets top marks and who failed
Nick Said
With Morocco the last of the record 10 African nations to exit the 2026 World Cup, we can assess the performance of the continent on the biggest stage in global football
Overall, it was a positive tournament, with a few disappointments along the way, though there was no repeat of Morocco’s semi-final showing four years ago
Here is our report card on each of the African nations
Algeria
There was much expectation around the side, with experienced coach Vladimir Petković in charge and some handy players in the squad, but although they did make it out of their pool as one of the eight best third-placed sides, they never really got near top gear
They started with a defeat to Argentina, before a victory over Jordan and then an epic 3-3 draw with Austria that was one of the games of the tournament
That set up a round of 32 meeting with Petković’s former side Switzerland, where they limped out of the tournament meekly
Cape Verde
Cape Verde were expected to be cannon fodder at the World Cup but instead turned into many people’s favourite story with their never-say-die attitude and quality football
A draw with Spain got them off to a positive start, with 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha the star of the show, before another 2-2 stalemate with Uruguay in a surprise result
When they played to a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia, those three points were enough to take them through in second place in the pool
They faced mighty Argentina in the round of 32 and took them all the way to extra time, before losing 3-2 as perhaps a little naivety in the end cost them
But the country many had never heard of before the tournament will live long in the memory
Democratic Republic of Congo
DR Congo had to deal with a late change of plans in their build-up due to the Ebola virus back home but arrived at their training base in Houston in high spirits
They underlined their competitiveness with a deserved 1-1 draw against Portugal in their opener, before a loss to Colombia in their second game
They thumped Uzbekistan3-1 to finish their pool play and earn a spot in the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed sides
They took an early lead against England and held that until the 75th minute, when a Harry Kane double sent them out, albeit with their reputation enhanced
Egypt
Egypt finished second in their pool and advanced all the way to the last 16, where they were seven minutes away from eliminating champions Argentina before the latter staged a stunning comeback
A 3-1 win over New Zealand proved crucial in their pool as they drew with Belgium and Iran, before edging Australia on penalties in the round of 32
Their 3-2 defeat to Argentina will be hard to take, and in the end they won only one of their five games, but they leave the tournament with their heads held high
Ghana
Coach Carlos Queiroz was only appointed a few months before the finals and it was clear his main plan was to make the team tough to beat, rather than play free-flowing football
That worked as they beat Panama and then managed a 0-0 draw with England, where they were perhaps unlucky not to get a penalty, before a 2-1 loss to Croatia in their final pool game saw them end third
They faced Colombia in the round of 32, but it was a limp display in which they barely troubled the South American side and left the tournament wondering if they could have done more. Queiroz announced he would not continue with the team shortly afterwards
Ivory Coast
The Ivorians looked good in the pool stages, with wins against tricky Ecuador and minnows Curacao to go with a narrow defeat to Germany
They have an exciting young side and played some attractive football, but came up against a very polished Norway in the round of 32, and their hulking ‘Viking’ Erling Haaland
They managed to keep it to 1-1 until the final five minutes, before Haaland netted a winner to send them home. They can be satisfied with their campaign
Morocco
A score of only 7/10 may seem harsh, but they failed to repeat their finish from the 2022 tournament and will be disappointed they did not give France more of a challenge in their quarter-final loss
They finished their pool play with seven points, which included a draw with Brazil, and expected wins over Haiti and Scotland
That set up a round of 32 clash with the Netherlands, where they prevailed on penalties, and then knocked out Canada in what proved a comfortable win
Given they are ranked seventh in the world, the quarter-finals would have been their minimum expectation for this tournament
Senegal
The campaign was chaotic from the start, with talk of unhappy players and a coach entering the tournament without a contract
It was no surprise, even for this team brimming with talent, when they lost their first two games to France and Norway
But an emphatic 5-0 win over hapless Iraq saw them squeeze through to the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed sides, and when they led Belgium 2-0 with five minutes remaining it seemed as though they had put all their problems behind them
That was until they allowed the European side to score twice to take the game to extra time, and then conceded a 125th-minute penalty to bow out after a game in which they were in complete control at timesbut lost 3-2. It is such a shame for a very talented team
South Africa
South Africa reached the round of 32 for the first time in their history, in the end finishing second in Group A
Many had them bottom of the pool at the start of the tournament, especially after a dismal opening 2-0 loss to Mexico where they looked out of their depth. But they rallied after that with a draw against the Czech Republic and a 1-0 win over South Korea that earned them their place in the next stage
They lost 1-0 to Canada, again without really testing their opponents, which will be a disappointment, but the mood after the tournament was one of celebration
Tunisia
The only one of the African sides not to advance from the pool stages, this campaign was nothing short of a disaster
Heavy defeats to Sweden (5-1), Japan (4-0) and the Netherlands (3-1) have dented the reputation of Tunisian football, while they were a shambles off the pitch too
The side sacked coach Sabri Lamouchi after the Sweden defeat, having come into the tournament on the back of a 5-0 loss to Belgium in their final friendly
Herve Renard came in, but it made no real difference in the end, and the team looks as though it needs a complete rebuild
The irony is they qualified for the finals without conceding a goal in their 10 games …
MentionsFootballWorld ChampionshipMoroccoCape VerdeEgyptAlgeriaD.R. CongoSouth AfricaGhanaIvory CoastSenegalAfrican footballGlobalSouth AfricaTunisiaGhanaNigeriaKenya
