18/06/2026
Africa's First-Round Report Card of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
After the first round, African teams produced a mixed set of performances:
2 Wins: Ghana, Ivory Coast
4 Draws: Morocco, Egypt, Cabo Verde, DR Congo
4 Losses: Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria
Let’s look at the top performers and low performers.
🇲🇦 Morocco
Most impressive result after drawing 1-1 with Brazil. Had excellent defensive organization, discipline, and mentality. But they need to create more chances and become more adventurous in attack.
They are my strong favorite to qualify.
🇨🇮 Ivory Coast
Most balanced African team so far.
Strong defensive structure, physical presence, and transition play. They Need better finishing and more attacking ruthlessness in an excellent position to advance. I’d love to see Amad Diallo start in their next game
Second favorite to qualify
🇪🇬 Egypt
Disciplined defensively and effective on the counter. Earned a valuable point against Belgium.
But must improve midfield progression and attacking initiative for a better chance of qualification.
🇨🇻 Cabo Verde
Surprise package of the tournament.
Defensively outstanding against Spain.
Need more attacking threat and confidence on the ball.
Qualification is realistic.
🇨🇩 DR Congo
Physical, aggressive, and dangerous in transition.
Impressive draw against Portugal.
Must improve defensive concentration and game management.
They have a strong chance of reaching the knockout stage.
🇬🇭 Ghana
They were a bit lost in the first have but too a strong defensive shape and effective counterattacks in the second and final secured a win over Panama. their midfield physicality and game management stood out.
However, they need more creativity, possession control, and attacking combinations.
If they perform well against England and Croatia they might scale through.
🇸🇳 Senegal
Athletic and dangerous going forward but exposed defensively by France.
They must improve defensive organization and finishing.
Two wins from remaining matches could still secure qualification.
🇩🇿 Algeria
Showed technical quality but struggled against Argentina. Defensive balance and midfield protection were lacking.
They need greater compactness and fewer errors.
🇿🇦 South Africa (C)
Showed commitment and work rate. Outside that, every other thing is zero. Lacked creativity and attacking cutting edge.
Must beat South Korea and improve chance creation.
🇹🇳 Tunisia (D)
Heaviest African defeat of the round (1-5 vs Sweden).
Defensive structure collapsed under pressure.
Need major improvements in organization and transition defending.
Qualification now looks extremely difficult.
Generally, this is a poor result from a continent who needs to prove themselves in the biggest stage.
I truly hope, we can produce a more convincing results in the second round.
Dar Lene