Africa’s interest in the World Cup ended on Thursday with Morocco’s elimination in the quarterfinals at the hands of France but with nine of the 10 African countries advancing out of the group phase at the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the U.S miust be seen as a success for the continent.
Morocco got the furthest with Egypt making the last-16 and the likes of DR Congo and Cape Verde coming close to upset results in their Round of 32 ties.
This is SuperSport.com’s Africa report cards for the World Cup
ALGERIA
Algeria had previously advanced past the opening group matches of the World Cup in 2014 in Brazil, so finishing third behind Argentina and Austria in their group but going through as one of the best third-placed finishers was no new ground broken.
They had beaten Jordan as expected, albeit having to come from behind, after losing their opening Group J game 3-0 to Argentina, where a controversial decision to ignore a studs-up challenge by Lionel Messi on rival captain Aissa Mandi was the subject of several conspiracy theories about the World Cup holders getting special treatment.
Algeria’s last group game against Austria turned into a thriller with ‘Les Fennecs’ going 3-2 ahead three minutes into stoppage time but then allowing the Austrians to scramble an equaliser and draw the game.
That meant that Algeria ended third in the standings, but conveniently avoided Spain in the last 32, instead coming up against Switzerland. That would have seemed the much better option, especially as coach Vladimir Petkovic had intimate knowledge of the Swiss from his eight years of coaching the national team.
As it turned out, however, Algeria did not put up much of a fight in their knockout encounter in Vancouver 2-0.
It marked the end of the international careers of 34-year-old Mandi, who is the country’s most capped international (122), and also Riyad Mahrez, for so long their talisman and who has been in and out of the starting line-up but did score twice against Austria.
Algeria has a great reliance, like their neighbours Morocco, on the Diaspora, notably talent from France, and would have hope for more of an impact from Houssem Aouar and Amine Gouiri, who were once in line to be called up by France.
Algerians also shifted much responsibility onto 20-year-old Ibrahim Maza, the German-born midfielder who did not make the impression he might have been hoping for.
They also battled again with the goalkeeping department, long now a crisis for Algeria. Luca Zidane, son of French legend Zinedine Zidane, played in three of the four games but continued to make clumsy errors, having also done so at the Africa Cup of Nations finals at the turn of the year. But there were no real alternatives. They used Oussama Benbot for the game against Austria, but he was similarly calamitous.
CAPE VERDE
From the moment they got the better of Cameroon last September to all but ensure their first-ever World Cup qualification, Cape Verde have been a fairytale World Cup story.
The third smallest country to ever qualify for the tournament, with a population of 600 000, and nothing to lose coming into the 2026 finals in North America, but that was never going to stop them trying to make their mark.
And so it proved for an exhilarating fortnight as they held Spain to a draw and took holders Argentina to extra time before succumbing in their last-32 match.
To qualify for the second stage at the World Cup would have only been in their wildest dreams, having drawn two former world champions in Spain and Uruguay in their group, yet they never seemed overawed and in the end became everyone’s second favourite side.
Their 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha pulled off some miraculous saves in their opening game against Spain and saw his Instagram account go from 46 000 followers before the tournament started to more than 20-million.
He deserved every one of them, because his heroics extended not only to the opening game in Atlanta but the subsequent draws with Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, which saw Cape Verde take second place in their group and, at the same time, condemn two-time world champions Uruguay to early elimination.
Against Lionel Messi and Argentina in Miami, they twice came from behind in a fearless display before finally bowing out in a 3-2 loss. Again, Vozinha was among the heroes, but so too, an extraordinary goal from fullback Sydny Lopes Cabral, which, given the context of the match, must be regarded as the best of the tournament, even if there were many other fine efforts.
It was dizzying days for all in the squad, a motley collection of players drawn from the country’s diaspora in former colonial power Portugal, but also France and the Netherlands and even Ireland. Dublin-born centre-back Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes plays in the anonymity of the League of Ireland but did not once look out of place with his determination and rigour at centre-back.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
The Democratic Republic of Congo returned to the World Cup for the first time in 52 years, having last competed in 1974 as Zaire. On that occasion, they lost all three games, conceded 14 goals and scored none, so perhaps exceeded expectations this time around.
They advanced to the last 32 as one of the best third-placed sides with four points, before falling to England in a narrow 2-1 defeat in which they led until the 75th minute, in what would have been one of the great World Cup shocks had they managed to hold on.
It was a campaign that was difficult from the start, with the team’s preparations disrupted by the Ebola virus outbreak back home that meant they had to change their plans for the build-up and move a friendly in Spain to France.
They arrived at their base camp in humid Houston having undertaken a 21-day screening period as requested by United States authorities, though without fans from back home, who were largely denied the opportunity to go to the World Cup due to travel restrictions.
Their campaign opened with a 1-1 draw against Portugal in Houston in which they conceded early but settled into the game. Yoane Wissa scored their first ever World Cup goal with a header deep into added time at the end of the first half.
They lost their second fixture 1-0 to Colombia in Guadalajara but roared back to win 3-1 against Uzbekistan thanks to a brace of goals from Wissa and one from Fiston Mayele.
It was a first ever World Cup win that had been more than half a century in the making and sparked huge celebrations back home and across the sizeable Congolese diaspora.
Newcastle United forward Wissa was the star of the show for the side, not just for his goals but also for his work off the ball and pace up front that troubled defenders.
Another player to impress was defender Axel Tuanzebe, who was a rock at the back, while his fellow former Manchester United teammate Aaron Wan-Bissaka was also a key player from right-back.
Coach Sebastien Desabre cut a confident figure throughout and was tactically astute. There was no game where Congo were outplayed and, on the whole, he got his decisions spot on.
EGYPT
Egypt will dream of what might have been after letting a 2-0 lead slip late on in their World Cup last-16 clash with champions Argentina, a result that will take some time to process and get over.
They lost that game late on as a mixture of the inspirational Lionel Messi and some panic at the back allowed Argentina back into the contest and to take a 3-2 victory.
Egypt were also left to rue a disallowed goal in the second half that left coach Hossam Hassan furious afterwards and making accusations of foul play by the officials.
But when the dust settles and they reflect on the tournament, there was much to like from Egypt.
They were gifted a modest group and, after a 1-1 draw with Belgium, beat New Zealand 3-1 in their first ever World Cup win to all but seal a last-32 place, before a 1-1 draw with Iran. They will have expected to make it out of this pool and did so in second place unbeaten.
They edged Australia on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the last 32, which set up their meeting with Argentina, where they were the better team for large parts of the game.
Much was expected of Mohamed Salah in the tournament and he largely delivered, grabbing a goal and a couple of assists, though he also gave away possession for Argentina’s winner.
Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir had taken over from the experienced Mohamed El Shenawy for the tournament and was outstanding in several games, arguably the player of the competition for The Pharaohs.
At just 26 years of age, he could be their keeper for the next decade.
Mostafa Ziko is another whose reputation has been improved markedly by the tournament, scoring against New Zealand and Argentina, and he was lively throughout up front.
On the other hand, Omar Marmoush was poor when much would have been expected of the Manchester City striker, but he was defended out of the tournament and did not manage a single goal or assist.
Mohamed Hany had the unfortunate distinction of scoring two own goals in the tournament, while Hamdy Fathy was not as imposing as he could have been in midfield.
GHANA
Ghana’s World Cup ended in a 1-0 last-32 defeat to Colombia, but given their difficult build-up to the tournament and a tough group that also included England and Croatia, they can look back at the campaign with some satisfaction.
They drafted in veteran coach Carlos Queiroz for his fifth World Cup just months before the tournament and, having not managed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, were a team in some disarray.
But Queiroz knows how to make a side difficult to beat and, after a 1-0 win over Panama in their opener, Ghana’s crucial fixture was a 0-0 draw with England, where they were denied a clear penalty following a foul on Prince Kwabena Adu late in the game.
That result still gave them the four points they needed to qualify for the next round and, despite a 2-1 loss to Croatia, they went through as one of the best third-placed sides.
It was a campaign built on defensive stoutness rather than attacking flair, and that showed in the defeat to Colombia, where they barely laid a glove on their opponents.
Not surprisingly, their best performers were in defence, as centre-backs Jerome Opoku and Jonas Adjetey were superb.
Caleb Yirenkyi, a 20-year-old midfielder, could be considered the breakout star of the tournament for Ghana with his winner against Panama, though his inexperience showed as he left Jhon Arias free for Colombia’s winner in the last 32.
Thomas Partey, for all his off-field issues, was also very good as a defensive shield for the backline in midfield.
Mixed in with those were also some disappointing displays, not least from experienced forward Jordan Ayew. He battled to get into any of the games and looked ineffective up front as a focal point for the attack.
More was expected from Antoine Semenyo, but the Manchester City winger wasted several promising positions in matches with poor end product in the final third.
Queiroz would have expected more from Kamaldeen Sulemana, but the winger was never able to impose himself on matches as the injured Mohammed Kudus might have done had he been available.
IVORY COAST
Given that they had a largely inexperienced and youthful starting line-up, it was surprising the Ivory Coast went to the World Cup predicting they would advance far into the tournament, with coach Emerse Fae even suggesting they could be among the contenders.
Certainly in terms of players with potential, they had every right to believe in their ability even if collectively they had not really been tested at any level.
Their World Cup started with a last-gasp goal to end Ecuador’s long unbeaten streak and give them three valuable points. It was expected the game against the South Americans would be the one to determine who would advance, alongside Germany, from Group E, although in the end all three went through from the group.
The real test of Ivorian potential came against Germany and it was a test that they failed, going 1-0 up but then losing 2-1 in what was a dose of reality against a major footballing power. The Germans scored the winner four minutes into stoppage time.
The win over Curaçao in their final group fixture, however, ensured that they advanced in second place, with Nicolas Pepe scoring a double as he continued his rehabilitation as an international striker after his torrid spell at Arsenal.
The reputations of Amad Diallo, Yan Diomande and Bazoumana Toure were also enhanced with Toure earning a move to the English Premier League after the Ivorians were knocked out.
Their departure in the round of 32 was disappointing given they let it slip against Norway by allowing Erling Haaland to escape their marking for a late winner in a 2-1 triumph in Dallas. Diallo had scored a superb individual effort to equalise and the Ivorians could certainly have forced the game into extra time had they kept their defensive shape.
Before the World Cup, French-born strikers Ange-Yan Bonny and Elye Wahi were persuaded to switch their international allegiance, but neither proved useful additions to the squad, and their performances were criticised by domestic media. There was also a cloud over Wahi after an arrest on alleged match-fixing charges in May that saw him needing visa permission to enter Canada for the game against Germany in Toronto.
MOROCCO
The Atlas Lions were unable to repeat their heroics of four years when they got to the semifinal in Qatar, knocked out again by France, this time in the quarterfinals.
But Morocco’s performances must be judged a success, becoming the first African nation to reach successive quarterfinals, eliminating the Netherlands and giving Brazil a scare in their opening game of the 2026 tournament.
There had been some doubts about how they might fare given a coaching change just three months before the final, but Mohamed Ouahbi made a seamless transition into coach from the junior ranks after winning last year’s U-20 World Cup.
They came into the tournament having not only changed coach but playing style too.
Ouahbi changed personnel and tactical plans, notably dispensing with a traditional centre forward and having Ismael Saibari in a ‘false nine’ while also getting midfielder Azzedine Ounahi to play higher up the pitch.
Ouahbi’s anticipation of potential problems was also key.
To mitigate the loss of injured centre-back Nayef Aguerd, he worked hard to persuade Issa Diop to commit to Morocco and also convinced teenage prodigy Ayyoub Bouaddi to switch his international allegiance from France.
The reinforcements were used from the start and Morocco were the better team against Brazil, scored early to then beat Scotland and overcame a scare against Haiti, twice coming from behind before eventually winning 4-2.
They had hoped to finish the group in top place and avoid taking on the Netherlands in last 32 but Brazil pipped them on goal difference.
In the end that did not matter as Morocco also disposed of the Dutch, albeit scoring a dramatic last-gasp equaliser from Diop before winning on post match penalties.
Captain Achraf Hakimi was their best player overall and his quality was no better exemplified than in the last-16 win over co-hosts Canada – an triumphant 3-0 spree that showed all the best of Morocco’s qualities.
There were many other sterling performances, like three goals in as many games from Saibari, but the 18-year-old Bouaddi was caught the eye, playing as a midfield strongman but with the ability to push forward when needed.
There should asl be a word for Noussair Mazraoui, usually right back but for Morocco playing either on the left or as a makeshift centre back and showing his versatility.
SENEGAL
Senegal went into the tournament with much expectation, even a touch of arrogance. They could afford to have legitimate hopes of becoming the first African World Cup winner as they boasted arguably the best African squad to yet play at a World Cup, in terms of experience, ability and depth.
They had won the Africa Cup of Nations final against hosts Morocco in January, albeit the title has since been stripped from them but they are appealing, and the squad did not change much in the months leading to the World Cup.
Senegal were among the first squads to get to the U.S, playing two warm-up friendlies and had high hopes of upsetting France in their opening game in New York, as they had at the start of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
But their 3-1 defeat to Les Blues was a massive blow to their confidence and left them a pale shadow of their potential as they lost again, this time to Norway. Noticeable were the errors of captain Kalidou Kouliblay, who was then dropped after 105 caps for his country.
It left them scrambling to win their last game against Iraq where coach Pape Bouna Thiaw benched midfield kingpin Pape Gueye only to be swiftly remined of the Villarreal player’s potential when he came on in the second half and scored two cracking goals.
The 5-0 win was the biggest achieved by an African side at the World Cup and was enough to squeeze through as one of the eight best third placed finishers.
They had high hopes again of beating Belgium and with five minutes to go were 2-0 up only to throw it away. A howler from second choice goalkeeper Mory Diaw, replacing the injured Edouard Mendy, allowed Belgium to force the game to extra time and a controversial VAR decision handed the European side a penalty to win the game in the last seconds. There was the obvious outrage at how things turned against them but frankly Senegal managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Hard running attacker Ismailia Sarr scored four of their goals and was their top performer, equalling Roegr Milla’s (Cameroon, 1990) record for the most goals by an African at a single World Cup tournament, but it was a subdued event for talisman Sadio Mane, who, along with Koulibaly and Mendy, is likely to quit the national team.
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa advanced to the knockout rounds of the World Cup for the first time, turning their campaign into an instant success, even if it did end limply with a 1-0 defeat to Canada in the last 32.
South Africa started with a dismal 2-0 loss to co-hosts Mexico in the opening game of the tournament, where their performance, more than the result, drew heavy criticism.
Coach Hugo Broos inexplicably moved to a back five for the first time in his five-year tenure, and the team looked lost in this new shape as they also received two red cards.
But he reverted to their usual 4-3-3 for the second game against the Czech Republic, which ended in a 1-1 draw, and kept that shape for the surprise 1-0 win over South Korea that gave them second place in Group A.
It was a confident performance by Bafana Bafana against the Koreans, but their opponents were inexplicably poor and played into the hands of Broos’ side.
Right winger Thapelo Maseko scored the goal in that game and was arguably the best attacking player in the competition for South Africa as a constant threat to the opposition.
Teboho Mokoena was superb in the heart of the midfield, despite two yellow cards that meant he missed the win over Korea, but the real star of the show was centre-back Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
The burly defender showed all his power, agility and speed in four superb performances that introduced the 20-year-old Chicago Fire youngster to the world and got tongues wagging.
His centre-back partner Ime Okon, himself only 22, also had a fine tournament and is now courted by clubs across Europe.
Lyle Foster started the Mexico game but was poor and did not feature again. As South Africa’s most experienced forward, this was his moment to shine, but he fluffed his lines.
As did 36-year-old midfielder Themba Zwane, who has been such a loyal servant to the side over the years. But a red card against Mexico and subsequent three-game ban meant he played no further part in the World Cup.
TUNISIA
The only side to disappoint and in spectacular fashion too, as they sacked their coach after their first game, but this proved far from a solution.
Tunisia suffered a seismic shock when they went down 5-1 to Sweden in their opening game in Group F in Monterrey, and the knee-jerk reaction was to see Sabri Lamouchi fired – the first man in World Cup history to be sacked after the first game at a tournament.
Hervé Renard, who had won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia and the Ivory Coast, took France’s women to the last Olympics and was coach of Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup, came in with high expectations and looked to light some fire under the Tunisians.
But they were again hapless as they lost a second game in Monterrey – this time 4-0 to Japan.
They must have been delighted to get out of Mexico to Kansas City for their last game against the Netherlands, having already been eliminated after their opening two fixtures.
It proved a much better performance, although they conceded twice to the Dutch in the first seven minutes before finally beginning to play. The 3-1 loss was a small morale booster, but Tunisia will want to forget the 2026 World Cup as quickly as they can.