Cape Verde and Ghana turned from zeros to heroes among supporters by qualifying this week for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Both Cape Verde, a tiny archipelago of about 550,000 inhabitants with no football titles to boast of, and four-time continental champions Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
But the disappointment at missing the premier African football tournament has been forgotten as Cape Verdeans and Ghanaians celebrate that they will be part of the expanded 48-team World Cup next year.
We look at five talking points after Cape Verde and Ghana were joined by Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia as the nine automatic African qualifiers.
Cameroon, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria have qualified for a November mini-tournament and the winners advance to inter-continental play-offs in March with two World Cup places up for grabs.
Clinical Livramento
“We have earned respect in Africa, now we must earn respect in the world,” said Cape Verde coach Pedro ‘Bubista’ Brito after Group D winners Cape Verde became the smallest country by land mass to qualify.
The World Cup debutants recovered from a 4-1 hiding in Cameroon to go on a seven-match unbeaten streak, while the challenges of the Indomitable Lions and Angola fell below expectations.
Dailon Livramento, a 24-year-old striker on loan from Verona to Casa Pia, scored four crucial goals, including a brilliant solo match-winner when Cameroon came to the archipelago off the coast of Senegal.
Appollis stars
South Africa will return to the World Cup next June, 16 years after becoming the first host nation to be eliminated after the first round.
But it was a close call for Bafana Bafana, who beat Rwanda in the final round to pip arch rivals Nigeria by one point for top spot after leading by five points in early September.
Orlando Pirates winger Oswin Appollis is an emerging South African star. He scored one goal and created the others in the 3-0 victory over the Rwandans.
Ghana recover
Ghana recovered from a shock failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco from December 21 by finishing Group I six points ahead of runners-up Madagascar.
A result that ultimately proved crucial was a 2-1 win away to top seeds Mali in June last year with captain and veteran forward Jordan Ayew snatching an added-time winner.
The highlight of four previous World Cup appearances was reaching the 2010 quarter-finals, and the lowlight was demanding cash be flown to Brazil to prevent a players’ boycott during the 2014 edition.
‘Perfect’ Morocco
Shock 2022 semi-finalists Morocco were the only African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup who boasted a 100 percent record.
The Atlas Lions’ was made easier by playing ‘away’ matches against Congo Brazzaville and Niger in the north African kingdom.
Morocco can call on a number of survivors from the 2022 Qatar campaign, including goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, star Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi and striker Youssef En-Nesyri.
Seychelles struggle
Seychelles are the lowest ranked of the 53 African football nations and their weaknesses were repeatedly exposed in 10 qualifiers as they conceded 53 times.
Known as the Pirates, the Indian Ocean island famed for its upscale tourism offerings made a disastrous start, losing 9-0 in the Ivory Coast, a record defeat in an African qualifier.
Apart from struggling to compete at the highest level, the Seychelles had the added handicap of being forced to play home matches abroad as they lack a FIFA-approved stadium.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images
