CAF president hails Africa's historic World Cup performance

CAF President Patrice Motsepe has praised African teams for their record-breaking performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the continent's success reflects the rapid growth of African football.

Daniel Momodu · July 22, 2026 · 4

Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe has praised the performances of African nations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the continent's campaign as a historic achievement that reflects the rapid growth of African football.

Motsepe noted that 10 African countries represented the continent at the expanded 48-team tournament, with nine progressing from the group stage to the Round of 32, the highest qualification rate ever recorded by African teams at a FIFA World Cup. Africa accounted for 20.8% of participating teams but 28.1% of the nations that reached the knockout stage.

He singled out Morocco for reaching the quarter-finals for a second consecutive World Cup, while also commending the performances of Egypt, Cabo Verde, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo, South Africa, Ghana and Tunisia during the tournament.

Motsepe announced that CAF will organise a conference involving national team coaches, technical experts, former players and other stakeholders to assess Africa's performance and develop strategies aimed at achieving even greater success at the 2030 FIFA World Cup.