2026 World Cup: Africa is capable of winning its first-ever trophy – CAF boss Motsepe

President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, has expressed strong confidence in Africa’s representatives ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the continent is capable of producing its first-ever world champion.

With the global showpiece set to be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, Motsepe believes Africa’s expanded representation offers a significant opportunity for the continent to prove its growing strength on football’s biggest stage.

Africa will be represented by 10 nations at the tournament following the expansion of the World Cup format. The teams heading to the competition are Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Motsepe said African football has reached a stage where it can compete with and defeat the traditional giants of the game.

“We are confident that the 10 African national teams at the 2026 World Cup will make us proud and that an African nation will be champions,” he told AFP.

The CAF president pointed to Morocco’s historic run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as evidence that African teams can compete at the highest level.

Morocco became the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of the tournament, defeating heavyweights Spain and Portugal before eventually falling to France.

According to Motsepe, that achievement transformed perceptions about African football and removed long-standing psychological barriers.

“What we lacked in the past was self-belief. Morocco changed that in Qatar four years ago. We can match the best in the world.”

Motsepe further reiterated his personal ambition to witness an African nation lift the FIFA World Cup trophy, describing it as a mission he remains deeply committed to pursuing.

“I will work relentlessly until I see the captain of an African nation lifting the greatest football prize,” he told AFP.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition to feature 48 teams, an expansion widely viewed as beneficial to African football due to the increased number of qualification slots.

The enlarged competition is expected to give African sides greater opportunities to showcase their talent, depth and tactical progress while challenging the dominance traditionally enjoyed by European and South American nations.

With several African teams arriving with experienced squads and rising global stars, expectations across the continent continue to grow that the 2026 tournament could mark another historic milestone for African football.