Cape Verde's Efforts Shine, But African Teams Struggle in Round of 32

Cape Verde's defender #13 Sidney Lopes Cabral celebrated with his teammates after scoring during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 match between Argentina and Cape Verde at the Miami Stadium in Miami Gardens on July 3, 2026. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)

Africa had a record nine teams reach the round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup. Sadly, seven teams, South Africa, DR Congo, Senegal, Algeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Cape Verde, were knocked out in just a few days. Only Morocco and Egypt made it further, waving Africa's flag in North America, PETER AKINBO writes.

For a long time, the Confederation of African Football has argued that five automatic slots were not enough for its 54 member nations. They pointed out that only nine percent of African countries made it to past World Cups, while about half of South America’s nations were represented.

With the new 48-team format giving Africa nine guaranteed places and a tenth through DR Congo’s intercontinental play-offs, there were worries about how well these teams would do on a bigger stage.

Initially, those worries seemed misplaced as nine of Africa’s ten representatives advanced from the group stage. They did better than teams from Asia and Concacaf, with only Tunisia failing to move on. Tunisia struggled, trailing for a record 256 minutes in their three matches, breaking a record from Mexico’s 1998 World Cup.

But Africa’s luck changed in the round of 32. Most teams faced narrow defeats by just one goal. Senegal seemed on track for the last sixteen, leading Belgium 2-0 with four minutes left. However, they conceded twice and lost on a questionable penalty in extra time.

Cape Verde pushed the defending champions, Argentina, to extra time, looking strong enough for a shootout. Unfortunately, an own goal in the 111th minute ended their impressive journey.

Ivory Coast also suffered a painful loss after drawing level against Norway, while DR Congo, who had led England for much of their match, couldn't keep their momentum in the final moments.

Ghana struggled after quickly going behind to Colombia. South Africa, despite a brave effort, lost to a last-minute goal from hosts Canada. This loss showed how far Bafana Bafana have fallen since reaching the semifinals of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.

Algeria's exit was less surprising, as they lost comfortably to Switzerland. Still, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Ibrahim Maza stood out in a struggling team that gave away goals in every group match.

Egypt and Morocco managed to advance through penalties, continuing a pattern seen in recent World Cups. Two African teams reaching the last 16 has become a common outcome, seen in the 2014 and 2022 tournaments.

Belgium's coach, Rudi Garcia, suggested that African teams often struggle to finish matches against higher-ranked opponents. This was clear as Senegal, Ivory Coast, and DR Congo all had leads or were equal against top teams but couldn't hold on.

This trend shows that while more African teams are competing at a high level, turning strong positions into knockout victories against traditional football powers is still a challenge.