Seven African Teams Advance to World Cup Knockout Stage

Seven African nations have secured their places in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, showcasing a strong performance in the tournament. The teams that have confirmed their advancement are Morocco, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Cabo Verde, Senegal, and Ghana.

Morocco finished as the runner-up in Group C with a 4-2 victory over Haiti, setting up a clash against the Group F winner, Netherlands, on June 29. South Africa made history by reaching the knockout stage for the first time, recovering from an opening defeat to co-host Mexico, drawing with Czechia, and defeating Korea Republic to finish second in their group.

Côte d'Ivoire progressed by finishing second in Group E after a victory over Ecuador. Egypt also advanced, finishing second in Group G with a draw against Iran.

Cabo Verde continued their fairytale run, remaining unbeaten in Group H. Senegal advanced as one of the best third-place teams with a 5-0 victory over Iraq.

Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo still have chances to qualify, with Algeria needing to secure points against Austria and the Democratic Republic of Congo hoping for a favorable outcome against Portugal.