By Nadia Ntiamoah
Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Dr Patrice Motsepe has hailed the historic performance of African nations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the qualification of nine teams to the Round of 32 as a defining moment for football on the continent.
The unprecedented achievement marks the most successful group-stage campaign ever by African nations at a FIFA World Cup, with nine of the continent’s 10 representatives progressing to the knockout phase.
The feat means 90 per cent of Africa’s participants advanced beyond the first round, underlining the growing competitiveness of African football on the global stage.
The nine countries that successfully booked their places in the Round of 32 are Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and South Africa.
Their qualification represents a landmark moment in African football history, surpassing all previous World Cup performances by the continent and reinforcing Africa’s emergence as a genuine force in international football.
Reacting to the achievement, Dr Motsepe congratulated the players, coaches and football administrators whose efforts made the historic milestone possible.
“On behalf of the CAF Member Associations that represent 54 African countries, I would like to express our heartfelt congratulations to the national team players and technical teams of Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and South Africa for their hard-earned and well-deserved qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32,” he said.
The CAF President noted that the performances delivered by the African teams throughout the tournament had once again demonstrated that the gap between Africa and the traditional football powers continues to narrow.
According to him, the impressive displays have not only brought pride to the individual nations involved but have also inspired millions of Africans across the continent and in the diaspora.
“The players and technical teams have made each of their countries proud and have also made the 1.6 billion people on the African continent and in the diaspora proud. The global competitiveness and world-class quality of African football is being recognised and highlighted by the victories and qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 by each of the nine African national teams,” Motsepe stated.
The CAF President attributed the continent’s growing success to years of deliberate investment in youth development programmes, improved coaching structures, stronger domestic leagues and better football infrastructure across CAF’s 54 member associations.
He explained that sustained reforms in football governance and administration have also played a significant role in attracting new commercial partners and financial support to help accelerate the development of the game across Africa.
“The hard work and investments in youth football development, coaching, professional football leagues and football infrastructure in each of CAF’s 54 Member Associations and in CAF competitions is bearing fruit,” he said.
“The governance, transparency, management, financial and auditing best practices that have been introduced have attracted new sponsors and partners, and these financial partnerships have contributed to the development and growth of African football.”
Motsepe also commended the leadership of the nine qualifying football associations, acknowledging the work of their presidents and executive committees in helping their national teams reach the knockout stages of the tournament.
In addition, he expressed appreciation to African governments for their continued cooperation and support in promoting football development across the continent.
“I also want to congratulate the nine CAF Member Association presidents and their executive committees and thank the African governments for their cooperation and support of the CAF Member Associations in their countries,” he concluded.
The historic qualification of nine African teams comes during the first FIFA World Cup to feature an expanded 48-team format, providing greater representation for every confederation.
