African Teams at the 2026 World Cup: 1st and 2nd Round Results, Standouts, and Knockout Hopes

There are 10 African teams playing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with first- and second-round results mixed, including wins, draws, and defeats.

After the opening matches, African teams recorded 4 wins, 8 draws, and 8 defeats.

How the 10 African Teams Performed in Round 1

Tunisia made World Cup history by sacking Sabri Lamouchi after a humiliating 5-1 loss to Sweden in their opening match.

Tunisia immediately hired African football icon Hervé Renard to save their tournament group stage campaign against Japan and the Netherlands.

In addition, Tunisia have become the first African team to be eliminated from proceeding to the knockouts in the World Cup 2026.

Standout Players from Round 1

Morocco:

• Ismael Saibari scored Morocco’s stunning first World Cup goal in the 21st minute, assisted by Brahim Diaz

Ivory Coast:

• Amad Diallo scored the 90th-minute winner after Wilfried Singo’s rampaging run set him up

Ghana:

• Caleb Yirenkyi scored the late winner in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time (95) against Panama.

Egypt:

• Emam Ashour scored Egypt’s goal in the 20th minute, before Belgium equalized within seconds of Romelu Lukaku’s arrival as a substitute, with Mohamed Hany putting through his own net.

DR Congo:

• DR Congo team fought back as Yoane Wissa, the Brentford striker, scored DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup goal, leading his nation to a1-1 draw against Portugal.

Also Read: Top African Players to Watch at FIFA World Cup 2026

Cape Verde:

• Vozinha, Cape Verde’s goalkeeper, made an incredible performance against Spain. He made 7 crucial saves, including blocking a header from Mikel Oyarzabal that was saved in the top centre of the goal. Vozinha’s outstanding defensive work helped Cape Verde hold Spain to a 0-0 draw, surprising everyone.

Round 2 standout players:
Egypt: Mohamed Salah scored and delivered an assist on the third goal in the Egypt’s historic 3-1 comeback becoming the oldest African player with both scoring a goal and providing an assist in one match at the World Cup.

Morocco: Ismael Saibari scored the only goal for Morocco from an assist by Brahim Diaz which became a record-breaker as it clocked at just over a minute; it stands as the fastest goal of the 2026 World Cup so far, and the earliest winning goal in a 1-0 match against Scotland.

Algeria: Amine Gouiri scored the header from a corner kick in the 82nd minute that gave Algeria a 2-1 win over Jordan and three points.

South Africa: Teboho Mokoena converted the late penalty in the 1-1 draw with Czechia and kept the knockout dreams alive.

Tunisia eliminated from World Cup

Tunisia were knocked out after a heavy 0-4 loss to Japan in Round 2. The defeat left them with no points and ended their chances of reaching the knockout stage hence becoming the first African team to be eliminated in the World Cup 2026.

Tunisia’s earlier 1-5 loss to Sweden made recovery impossible and Hervé Renard’s, Tunisia’s new coach, arrival came too late to save Tunisia’s hope of progressing.

Round 2 Results

Next Matches: Final Round Fixtures for the African Teams

 Round 3 Fixtures

 Can African Teams Progress to the Knockouts?

Only the top two teams in each group qualify for the Round of 16. Here’s what each African team needs:

Group C: Morocco

• Current: 4 points (2nd place)
• What they need: A draw or win in the final match against Haiti is enough to go through.

Group E: Ivory Coast

• Current: 3 points (2nd place)
• What they need: To qualify, they need one more win (6 points) or draw (4 points). A draw from Curacao guarantees qualification for them.

Group L: Ghana

• Current: 3 points (2nd place)
• What they need: One more win or a draw against Croatia will guarantee a knockout stage spot.

Group G: Egypt

• Current: 4 points (2nd place)
• What they need: A win (4+ points) or a draw against Iran in order to advance.

Group H: Cape Verde

• Current: 2 points (3rd)
• What they need: They have to win their final group match against Saudi Arabia

Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2026 Explained: How Teams Will Progress Out of the Group Stages in New Format

Group I: DR Congo

• Current: 1 point (3rd place)
• What they need: DR Congo needs a must win on their last group match against Uzbekistan to advance.

Group I: Senegal

• Current: 0 points (4th place)
• What they need: Senegal must win aginst Iraq to safely secure a knockout stage spot

Group J: Algeria

• Current: 3 points (2nd place)
• What they need: They need at least four points from remaining matches against Austria and Jordan to advance to the knockout stage.

Group A: South Africa

• Current: 1 point (3rd place)
• What they need: South Africa must beat South Korea in their final World Cup group match. 

Group F: Tunisia

• Current: 0 points (4th place)
• Tunisia are eliminated and cannot progress.

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