THE expansion of the World Cup in 2026 means that African nations will be better represented at the competition than ever before, as a record-setting 10 countries from the continent prepare to head to North America.
The tournament promises to be an entertaining spectacle for fans of every nation. Supporters will be following the action closely, staying up to date with comprehensive coverage of the leagues, players, and stories shaping African football throughout the World Cup, including squad selection and stipulations regarding qualification for the knockout stages, as these teams each bid to make a deep run.
Morocco proved in 2022 that African teams are not competing to simply make up the numbers. Typical heavyweights like Senegal and Egypt will be looking to match the Atlas Lions’ run to the semi-finals from four years ago. But other underdogs might also feel that they can surprise the world.
South Africa
Having qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2010, South Africa fans will be throwing their support behind the team. While Bafana Bafana crashed out in the group stage of their home tournament 16 years ago, they will be slightly more confident of reaching the knockouts this time.
Fresh off their club winning the CAF Champions League, nine Mamelodi Sundowns players have been included in the final squad. With an equal number of players from Premiership champions Orlando Pirates also included, there’s a strong sense of familiarity running through the squad. That should pay dividends at a World Cup, where chemistry can be hard to build prior to the start of the tournament.
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With the expansion of the knockout stage to 32 teams, the chances of South Africa progressing out of Group A have never been better. If they can get a win and a draw against either Mexico, South Korea, or the Czech Republic, that could be enough to qualify in third, or potentially even second place.
DR Congo
In their World Cup debut back in 1974 (when they competed as Zaire), DR Congo didn’t manage to score a goal as they were eliminated in the group stage. Although their preparations ahead of their return to the competition have been disrupted due to the Ebola outbreak, the Leopards could still be one of the surprises of the competition.
In qualifying, they only lost two matches as they finished just two points behind Senegal, later going on to beat Nigeria on penalties. Capable of upsetting supposed favorites, Sébastien Desabre’s team are effective on the counter-attack through Yoane Wissa and Cédric Bakambu, which could well pay dividends in Group K.
While Portugal should have too much quality for DR Congo, Colombia are heading into the tournament in mixed form, with defeats to Croatia and France raising questions about the squad’s ability and potential ceiling. The Leopards might be able to exploit these weaknesses, which could set up a thrilling final match against Uzbekistan where they could clinch a place in the Round of 32.
Cape Verde
For Cape Verde, one of four tournament debutants, reaching the World Cup is an achievement in its own right. However, fans who watched them in qualifying will know that this team has earned the right to be here, after they finished ahead of Cameroon in CAF Group D with seven wins and just one loss.
The Blue Sharks lack experience against top teams, but minimal expectations will allow Bubista’s team to play without fear in North America. That could lead to memorable goals against traditional World Cup heavyweights Spain and Uruguay in Group H, and potentially even a surprise result.
Uruguay are hardly the dominant team they used to be - they recently lost 5-1 to the United States, while there were damning losses to Paraguay and Peru in qualifying. Those vulnerabilities are good news for Cape Verde, who will play Uruguay on June 21, but even if they are defeated, it might just take a win against Saudi Arabia to qualify as one of the best third-place teams.