The narrative surrounding Africa’s performance in this World Cup evokes a familiar question reminiscent of early social media memes: Is it a triumph or a reflection of the challenges facing football on the continent? The answer seems to hinge on one’s perspective.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has long contended that five slots are insufficient for its 54 member nations. While only 9% of African teams made it to the World Cup, 50% of South American representatives did. Critics often pointed out that South American nations have claimed the title ten times, while Africa had not seen a semi-finalist until Morocco’s remarkable run to the last four in Qatar in 2022.
Striking a balance between adequate representation and maintaining quality is a complex task. Despite the imperfections of a 48-team tournament, the allocation of nine guaranteed spots for Africa, along with a potential tenth via intercontinental playoffs, claimed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), stands as a positive development.
However, underlying concerns lingered. What if the ten representatives faltered? If most were eliminated in the group stage, it could have been argued that Caf was granted too many qualification spots. Yet, nine African teams advanced past the group stage, allowing proponents of Caf to assert their case was vindicated. Meanwhile, UEFA and Conmebol sent 13 and five teams, respectively, into the knockout rounds, while Asia and North and Central America underperformed, with only Japan and Australia from the AFC and three hosts from Concacaf progressing.
This World Cup has been a noteworthy achievement for Africa. Despite Tunisia’s dismal performance, marking one of the worst in tournament history—setting a new record for the longest time spent trailing in matches—the overall representation was strong. Tunisia fell behind in all three of their matches, surpassing Mexico’s record by trailing for a total of 256 minutes.
Having 90% of teams advance from the group stage appears to reflect well on African football, even though none topped their respective groups. A key objective was for three African teams to reach the last 16 for the first time; Qatar saw Morocco and Senegal achieve that milestone, in stark contrast to Russia, where no African side advanced. In Brazil, Algeria and Nigeria made it through, while only Ghana succeeded in South Africa when Caf fielded six teams. In Germany, Ghana was again the sole representative to advance, and in Japan and South Korea, Senegal managed to progress.
This year, two African teams successfully navigated to the knockout rounds, both triumphing in penalty shootouts. Given that this has occurred only twice previously, this can be considered a measured success. Yet, there remains a palpable sense that the outcome could have been even better. Algeria faced a heavy defeat to Switzerland, but Ibrahim Maza showcased his talent, and the result might have differed had Algeria not continued their trend of conceding unnecessary goals in every match. The losses of the other teams came by narrow margins.
Some margins were particularly narrow. South Africa suffered a last-minute defeat against Canada, a game characterized by a lackluster performance that starkly contrasted their spirited showing in the 2024 Cup of Nations semi-final. Ghana, after falling behind to Colombia, appeared directionless, highlighting the challenges of being coached by Carlos Queiroz, where a resilient draw against England can be offset by a lack of strategy when facing adversity.
For Cape Verde, qualifying for the World Cup was an extraordinary feat, and advancing from the group stage was remarkable. Their narrow defeat to Argentina, which included two equalizers and went to extra time, only adds to their commendable journey. However, the other three teams are left pondering what might have been.
Senegal may feel they squandered their best chance. Despite the controversies surrounding a late penalty awarded against them via video assistant review, they were in control against Belgium, leading 2-0 with just four minutes left, and should have closed out the game in regulation. Côte d’Ivoire, having equalized against Norway, appeared to seize momentum but ultimately fell short. The DRC took an early lead against England but fatigued late in the match and succumbed in the final minutes.
Moreover, Côte d’Ivoire led Germany, Morocco was ahead of Brazil, and Senegal seemed in command against France at the half, yet none emerged victorious. They secured advantageous positions but failed to convert them into wins. As Belgium’s coach Rudi Garcia noted, it may boil down to inexperience—teams unfamiliar with retaining leads against ostensibly superior opponents often lack the savvy to close out matches.
Concerns about depth and bench strength may also be a factor, with fatigue playing a notable role for the DRC. It raises the question of whether a lack of belief against more formidable adversaries is a common thread among these teams. Each side may have its unique challenges contributing to this situation.
Morocco could potentially solidify its status among the global elite, yet there’s a growing sentiment that, despite benefiting from diaspora players, the structure of African football is becoming broader but not significantly stronger. Many teams can make it into the last 32, but few seem capable of advancing to the last 16.
The path forward requires teams like Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire to capitalize on promising starts and secure victories against respected opponents when such chances arise.
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