CAF President Hails Historic African Success at FIFA World Cup 2026, Pledges Greater Investment Ahead of 2030

Adham mohamed1 day ago

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Patrice Motsepe: Nine African Teams Reached the Knockout Stage in a Record-Breaking World Cup Campaign as CAF Targets Even Greater Success

The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has praised the outstanding performances of Africa’s national teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026, describing their achievements as a historic milestone for African football and reaffirming CAF’s commitment to investing in the development of the sport across the continent.

Africa was represented at the FIFA World Cup 2026 by Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia.

An unprecedented nine out of the ten African national teams (90%) advanced from the group stage to the Round of 32, marking the highest qualification rate ever achieved by African teams in FIFA World Cup history.

Although African nations accounted for 20.8% of the 48 teams participating in the tournament, they represented 28.1% of the teams that progressed from the group stage to the knockout rounds, highlighting the continent’s growing competitiveness on the global football stage.

This remarkable achievement was surpassed only by UEFA, whose member nations recorded a 40% qualification rate from the group stage to the Round of 32.

Among the standout performers, Egypt and Morocco advanced to the Round of 16, while Morocco reached another historic milestone by qualifying for the quarter-finals for the second consecutive FIFA World Cup, reinforcing its position as one of Africa’s leading football powers.

Strong performances also came from Cabo Verde, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Ghana, and Tunisia, all of which contributed to Africa’s record-breaking campaign.

Dr. Patrice Motsepe said he was extremely proud of the performances delivered by Africa’s national teams, emphasizing that their success reflects the steady progress African football has made in recent years.

“Significant progress and successes were achieved by the African National Teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and I am very proud of their performances. The nine African National Teams that qualified from the Group Stage to the Round of 32 made history at the FIFA World Cup 2026, as this represents 90% of the African National Teams that participated and is the highest qualification percentage ever achieved.”

Motsepe noted that Africa’s qualification record has improved dramatically compared with previous World Cups, pointing out that 40% of African teams reached the knockout stage in 2022, none advanced in 2018, and 40% qualified in 2014.

He acknowledged that, despite the historic success, CAF has identified several technical areas requiring improvement and expressed confidence that coaches, technical staff, and players will implement the necessary changes to achieve even greater results in future tournaments.

To build on the momentum created by the FIFA World Cup 2026, CAF will organize a comprehensive football conference bringing together national team coaches, technical experts, former African internationals, football specialists, and key stakeholders.

The conference will evaluate the performances of Africa’s national teams during the tournament and develop recommendations aimed at ensuring even greater success for African nations at the FIFA World Cup 2030.

Motsepe reaffirmed CAF’s long-term commitment to investing in football development across all 54 CAF Member Associations, stressing that the organization will continue to support youth football, amateur football, professional leagues, and national teams for both boys and girls.

He also announced that CAF is expanding its investment in coach education by increasing funding for coaching development programs at every level. Numerous coaching courses will be organized across CAF’s six regional zones, helping improve technical standards throughout the continent.

In addition, CAF will continue strengthening the CAF African Schools Football Championship, which Motsepe described as a vital platform for identifying, nurturing, and developing Africa’s young football talent.

The CAF President also emphasized the importance of stronger partnerships between Member Associations, African governments, and the private sector to accelerate football development across the continent.

According to Motsepe, these partnerships will play a critical role in supporting football programs, attracting sponsorship, improving infrastructure, and building, renovating, and maintaining stadiums and football facilities throughout Africa.

He stressed that every national team and football club should have the opportunity to host matches in its own country and in front of its home supporters, underscoring the importance of ensuring that each of CAF’s 54 Member Associations has at least one stadium that meets CAF and FIFA standards.

Concluding his remarks, Motsepe expressed confidence that African football is entering a new era of sustained growth and global competitiveness.

“CAF is making enormous progress in developing and growing men’s and women’s football in Africa and making it among the best in the world. We remain confident that an African nation will one day become FIFA World Cup champions.”