Sébastien Desabre backs Africa to produce future World Cup winners

DR Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre has expressed strong confidence in Africa’s ability to eventually produce a FIFA World Cup-winning nation, insisting it is only a matter of time before the continent lifts football’s biggest prize.

Speaking ahead of DR Congo’s final Group K fixture against Uzbekistan at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, the French tactician highlighted the rapid progress African football has made in recent years and backed the continent to continue its upward trajectory on the global stage.

Desabre believes the performances of African nations at major tournaments demonstrate the significant strides being made and argued that the continent deserves increased representation at the World Cup.

“Africa is developing and it will not stop,” Desabre said during his pre-match press conference.

“I hope that this year, or in the years to come, an African team will succeed in winning the World Cup. For me, it is only a matter of time.”

No African nation has won the FIFA World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1930, although several countries have come close to making history.

Morocco set a new benchmark at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar by becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals, while Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana have all reached the quarter-finals in previous editions.

The expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams for the 2026 tournament has seen Africa’s representation increase from five to nine guaranteed places, providing more nations with the opportunity to compete on football’s biggest stage.

Desabre welcomed the increased slots, describing football as an integral part of life across the African continent.

“Africa deserves to have as many teams as possible at the World Cup because football is the essence of this continent,” he added.

DR Congo head into their final Group K encounter against Uzbekistan seeking a positive result to boost their chances of progressing to the knockout stages.

The Leopards have shown resilience in the tournament, drawing 1-1 with Portugal in their opening match before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia in their second outing.

With qualification still within reach, Desabre’s side will be aiming to keep alive both their World Cup ambitions and the hopes of another strong African showing at the tournament.