The 2026 FIFA World Cup is reaching the business end, but for many of the African nations, their dreams of sporting immortality have already come to an end.
Africa World Cup hopes will hinge on the progress of Morocco and Egypt, with the former coming up against France in the quarterfinals. The latter will face the daunting prospect of a round of 16 tie with Argentina.
Find out how the Africa World Cup fixtures played out here.
South Africa: Breakthrough Run Ends in Injury-Time Heartbreak
One of the underrated teams from the World Cup this summer comes in the form of South Africa. Bafana Bafana exceeded all expectations to progress from Group A, as runners-up behind Mexico, reaching the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
Their spot at the tournament was achieved after commanding performances in the South Africa vs Nigeria World Cup qualification clashes.
South Africa finished second in Group A, picking up a shock win over South Korea on MD3 to secure progression. But their journey ended in heartbreaking fashion, losing 1-0 against Canada after conceding a 92nd-minute goal scored by Stephen Eustaquio.
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Ivory Coast: Historic Knockout Debut Cut Short by Haaland
Ivory Coast surpassed expectations to finish second in Group E behind Germany at the World Cup this summer.
Les Éléphants reached the knockout round for the first time in their history, achieving a feat that their golden generation of talent failed to achieve. Ivory Coast won two of their three Group E matches, beating Curaçao and Ecuador, before losing a thriller against Germany.
Yan Diomande and Amad Diallo were standout stars, with the latter scoring two goals in four appearances. Unfortunately, their journey ended following a late Erling Haaland goal, when they lost 2-1 against Norway in the round of 32.
Tunisia: Twelve Goals Conceded in a Summer to Forget
Despite being one of the most impressive nations in the Africa World Cup qualifiers, Tunisia were well below the standard required at the tournament. The Eagles of Carthage lost all three of their Group F fixtures, conceding a poor 12 goals.
Tunisia only scored twice in reply, but those efforts were merely consolations in heavy defeats against Sweden and the Netherlands.
As one of the worst-performing nations at the World Cup in 2026, it was unsurprising that Sabri Lamouchi was fired soon after elimination was confirmed.
Cape Verde: Small Nation Delivers the Biggest Fairytale
One of the stories of the 2026 World Cup came in the form of Cape Verde. Among the smallest nations to ever gain qualification, they exceeded all expectations in Group H, recording successive draws with Spain and Uruguay before nervously getting the point required against Saudi Arabia.
Included in their highlights was Kevin Pina’s goal in the draw against Uruguay. The forward made history by becoming the first Cape Verde international to score at the competition. The Blue Sharks would continue their fairytale journey in the round of 32, pushing reigning world champions Argentina to their limit before losing 3-2 in extra time.
One of the likely lasting moments from this year’s tournament featured in that defeat, as a stunning goal by Sidny Lopes Cabral levelled the scores and threatened one of the biggest upsets in sporting history.
Senegal: Five-Star Highs Undone by a Belgian Comeback
Senegal were one of the potential dark horses at the World Cup this summer after excellent results throughout last year. However, the odds were always stacked against the Lions of Teranga after being drawn in a very testing Group I alongside Norway and France.
Senegal played to a high level, but suffered successive defeats against the nations. A high point came in their MD3 clash with Iraq, recording a 5-0 win thanks to a brace by Pape Gueye.
Unfortunately, they only had themselves to blame in the round of 32, throwing away a 2-0 advantage against an underwhelming Belgium, eventually losing the clash in extra time.
Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr’s goals gave Senegal a 2-0 advantage after 51 minutes, but the lead was wiped away within five second-half minutes in the closing stages. The Red Devils eventually stole the win, with Youri Tielemans scoring from the penalty spot in the 125th minute.
Algeria: Quiet Progress Masks a Round of 32 Whimper
There was an expectation that Algeria would struggle in Group J after being drawn against Argentina. The African nation were easily beaten 3-0 by the reigning world champions on MD1, before they landed an important win on MD2 against Jordan.
They were forced to settle for third spot in the standings after conceding a costly late equaliser in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Austria. In truth, they would likely wish to replay their round of 32 clash against Switzerland, as the nation did not lay a glove on their European rivals, eventually losing 2-0.
But a run to the round of 32 represents their second-best ever showing at the World Cup, and confidence will be high ahead of the 2030 qualification round of Africa World Cup playoffs.
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DR Congo: Playoff Underdogs Turn Knockout Debutants
DR Congo reached the World Cup for only the second time in their history after coming through the World Cup playoffs in Africa.
A win over Jamaica in the qualification secured their spot in Group K, and they certainly seized their chances. An excellent draw against Portugal was followed by a narrow loss to Colombia, before the African nation recorded a first-ever win at the competition on MD3 against Uzbekistan.
A historic feat was nearly achieved in the round of 32, scoring early against England before conceding twice in the final 15 minutes. But a first run to the knockout stage was an excellent showing.
Ghana: Defensive Grit Cannot Hide a Toothless Attack
Defensively solid Ghana reached the knockout stage of the World Cup for the third time in their history. A battling 1-0 win over Panama on MD1 set the tone, before they deservedly held England to a 0-0 stalemate in Boston on MD2.
But a defeat against Croatia in their final clash saw them settle for third spot. Ultimately, they lost against Colombia in the RO32 (1-0).
In truth, they probably left plenty on the field in their round of 32 clash with Colombia, as they rarely threatened in the attacking areas, failing to register a single shot on target from their 38% share of the possession.
The 2026 World Cup was a historic event for African nations, with a record ten teams reaching the knockout stage. Further history could be on the cards as the knockout stage progresses, with Egypt and Morocco aiming to upset the odds against Argentina and France, respectively, in bids to become the second African nation to reach the semi-finals.