2026 World Cup: Egypt, Morocco Keep Africa's Hopes Alive
Only two of Africa's 10 representatives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup remain in contention after Egypt joined Morocco in securing places in the Round of 16, while eight other teams have exited the tournament.
Egypt booked their place in the last 16 with a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Australia on Friday after their Round of 32 clash ended 1-1 following extra time.
The Pharaohs took the lead through Emam Ashour in the first half before Mohamed Hany's unfortunate own goal levelled the scores in the 55th minute. With neither side able to find a winner after 120 minutes, Egypt kept their composure from the penalty spot to seal a historic victory.
The win marked Egypt's first-ever knockout-stage triumph at a FIFA World Cup and earned the North Africans a Round of 16 showdown against defending champions Argentina, who edged Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in another Round of 32 fixture.
Morocco had earlier become Africa's first nation to reach the Round of 16 after defeating the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties on Tuesday following a 1-1 draw after extra time. The Atlas Lions will face co-hosts Canada in their next match.
Despite the successes of Egypt and Morocco, Africa's hopes of a deeper run at the tournament suffered a major setback as eight teams were eliminated.
Côte d'Ivoire fell 2-1 to Norway, DR Congo lost 2-1 to England, Senegal suffered a 3-2 defeat against Belgium, Ghana were edged 1-0 by Colombia, while Cape Verde produced a spirited display before losing 3-2 after extra time to Argentina.
Algeria were the continent's earliest casualty after failing to progress beyond the group stage and missing out on the Round of 32 altogether.
With only Egypt and Morocco remaining, Africa's hopes of reaching the quarter-finals now rest on the two nations as they prepare for crucial Round of 16 encounters.
African teams' performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Qualified for Round of 16: Egypt, Morocco.
Eliminated in Round of 32: Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Senegal, Ghana and Cape Verde.
Eliminated in Group Stage: Algeria.
Source: Punch
Tags: #FIFAWorldCup2026 #Egypt #Morocco
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