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2026 World Cup: African Teams Shine With Historic Knockout Progress

Published

3 months ago

June 26, 2026

African teams World Cup 2026 sees Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco and South Africa reach the Round of 32 in a strong showing at the global tournament

African football nations have made a strong statement at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Côte d’Ivoire becoming the third team from the continent to secure a place in the Round of 32 following a decisive group-stage victory.

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The African teams World Cup 2026 campaign gained further momentum on Thursday night after Côte d’Ivoire defeated Curaçao 2-0, with captain Nicolas Pépé scoring twice to secure qualification.

The result ensured the Elephants finished second in Group E behind Germany, booking a place in the knockout stages of the expanded tournament.

Morocco and South Africa had earlier confirmed their progression, underlining Africa’s growing competitiveness on the global stage.

South Africa secured qualification after a narrow 1-0 victory over South Korea, while Morocco advanced following an impressive 4-2 win against Haiti.

For Côte d’Ivoire, the victory marked a crucial turning point in their campaign, as they needed all three points to guarantee progression.

Their qualification continues a positive trend for West African football on the world stage, particularly in tournaments featuring expanded group formats.

The African teams World Cup 2026 story has been widely followed, with analysts noting improved tactical discipline, squad depth and international experience among the continent’s representatives.

Tunisia, however, has been eliminated from the competition, becoming the only African side confirmed to exit at this stage of the tournament.

The North African nation struggled to find consistency in a challenging group and fell short of qualification despite competitive performances.

The introduction of an expanded World Cup format has increased opportunities for African nations to progress beyond the group stage, with several teams now capitalising on the broader qualification pathway.

Football observers say the performances of Morocco, South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire reflect the continued rise of African football on the global stage, supported by increasing investment in youth development and stronger representation in European leagues.

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Further knockout fixtures will determine how far the remaining African teams can progress, with supporters across the continent hopeful of deeper runs in the tournament.

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Mariam Balogun

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Opinion

Why Are Football Fans Expecting Trophy Haul from Man City’s 114 Breaches?

Published

16 hours ago

September 30, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Tai Emeka Obasi,

It is exceedingly terrible for clubs operating in a league as supremely elite as the English Premier League, EPL, to fraudulently cheat themselves to massive success.

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Rules are rules, and supposedly responsible club managements should comply with them in administering a game termed the beautiful game.

Manchester City is currently in the eye of the storm for all the wrong reasons.

A whopping 115 breaches were brought against the club, with reports now indicating that an independent commission found City guilty of 114 of them.

The club, however, maintains that the Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements still to be completed and subject to strict confidentiality.

Manchester City chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, has appealed to the fans to remain calm and faithful, insisting that the club will continue to defend its position and pursue the available legal process.

According to reports, Manchester City is expected to appeal the verdict. The sanctions have not yet been announced, and the possible consequences could include a heavy fine, points deduction, stripping of titles or even relegation.

From the available reporting, however, there is no basis for football fans to start celebrating the prospect of receiving Manchester City’s trophies.

Even if titles were eventually stripped, the relevant period under investigation is 2009 to 2018.

During that period, Manchester City won three Premier League titles, in 2011/12, 2013/14 and 2017/18, as well as three League Cups, in 2013/14, 2015/16 and 2017/18.

That immediately puts a different complexion on the matter.

For instance, Manchester United finished runners-up to City in the 2011/12 and 2017/18 Premier League seasons, while Liverpool finished second in 2013/14.

But whether those titles would actually be reassigned to the runners-up is another matter entirely.

There is no automatic rule that says a stripped title simply moves to the team that finished second. Any such outcome would depend on the eventual sanction imposed by the relevant authorities.

The same applies to Arsenal and the League Cup. Arsenal were beaten by City in the 2018 final, but that does not mean Arsenal would automatically inherit the trophy if City were sanctioned.

Expert opinion has suggested that the eventual punishment could include a substantial financial penalty and a huge points deduction, potentially severe enough to threaten City with relegation.

But until the sanction is formally determined, nobody can say with certainty what punishment Manchester City will receive.

For Gunners fans, therefore, we should lower our expectations from City’s debacle. Even if Manchester City are eventually found guilty after the appeal process and even if they are relegated, Arsenal will not stroll to this season’s title.

Our last match against Brighton and Hove Albion is a huge warning that our squad is not as complete as it is generally acclaimed to be.