Cape Verde and Ghana have turned from zeros to heroes among their supporters after qualifying this week for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Both teams failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), but that disappointment has now been replaced by joy as they celebrate earning a place at football’s biggest tournament.
Cape Verde, a small island nation of about 550,000 people with no major football title to its name, and Ghana, four-time African champions, will join Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia as Africa’s nine automatic qualifiers for the expanded 48-team World Cup.
Meanwhile, Cameroon, Gabon, DR Congo, and Nigeria will compete in a mini-tournament in November for a chance to reach the inter-continental play-offs in March 2026, where two extra World Cup spots are up for grabs.
Cape Verde coach Pedro ‘Bubista’ Brito praised his side’s determination, saying: “We have earned respect in Africa, now we must earn respect in the world.” His team, who finished top of Group D, became the smallest nation by land mass ever to qualify for the World Cup.
The Blue Sharks bounced back from a 4–1 loss to Cameroon to go on a seven-match unbeaten run. Striker Dailon Livramento, on loan from Verona to Casa Pia, scored four important goals, including a stunning solo winner against Cameroon.
In South Africa, Bafana Bafana sealed their return to the World Cup after 16 years, narrowly beating Rwanda to top their group by one point ahead of Nigeria. Oswin Appollis, a 22-year-old winger from Orlando Pirates, was the star of the final game, scoring once and setting up two goals in a 3–0 win.
For Ghana, the qualification marked a strong comeback after missing AFCON. The Black Stars topped Group I, finishing six points ahead of Madagascar. A crucial 2–1 away victory over Mali last year, sealed by a late goal from captain Jordan Ayew, proved decisive.
Ghana will now aim to match or better their 2010 World Cup performance, when they reached the quarter-finals, Africa’s joint-best finish.
Elsewhere, Morocco continued their fine form from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, qualifying with a perfect record. The Atlas Lions, led by stars like Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi, and Youssef En-Nesyri, remain Africa’s top-ranked side.
At the other end of the table, Seychelles endured a painful campaign, losing all ten matches and conceding 53 goals, including a record 9–0 defeat against Ivory Coast. With no FIFA-approved home stadium, the island nation had to play all its “home” games abroad.
As Africa celebrates its nine qualifiers, attention now turns to the November play-offs, where one more African team could still join the continent’s representatives at next year’s World Cup