The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, has singled out Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt and Cape Verde for praise following their encouraging starts to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In a brief statement released after the opening round of matches involving African nations, Motsepe expressed pride in the performances delivered by the three countries on football’s biggest stage.
“We are proud of the efforts by Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt and Cape Verde at the FIFA World Cup 2026 during their opening matches,” Motsepe said.
The CAF president’s comments came after a mixed opening round for African representatives, with the trio producing results that captured attention for different reasons.
Côte d’Ivoire became the first African side to secure victory at the tournament when they edged Ecuador 1-0 in Group E. The result handed the Elephants a valuable three points and strengthened their hopes of reaching the knockout stages ahead of a crucial clash against Germany.
Egypt also earned widespread admiration despite being denied what would have been a historic first World Cup victory. The Pharaohs produced one of their most accomplished performances at the tournament, holding Belgium to a 1-1 draw in Seattle.
Emam Ashour’s stunning strike gave Egypt the lead after good work from Mohamed Salah, and Hossam Hassan’s side looked on course for a famous win before an own goal allowed Belgium to rescue a point. Nevertheless, the result represented a significant statement from a nation still chasing its first ever World Cup triumph.
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Cape Verde arguably produced the surprise result of the opening round. Making their World Cup debut, the Blue Sharks frustrated former world champions Spain throughout a disciplined display that earned a memorable 0-0 draw.
Goalkeeper Vozinha delivered a standout performance as Cape Verde held firm against sustained Spanish pressure and even came close to snatching a sensational victory late on. The result immediately transformed perceptions of the tournament newcomers and blew Group H wide open.
Motsepe’s praise, however, is likely to spark debate after he made no mention of South Africa and Tunisia, who endured difficult starts to their campaigns.
South Africa suffered a 2-0 defeat to tournament co-hosts Mexico in the opening match of the competition, while Tunisia were thrashed 5-1 by Sweden in one of the heaviest defeats suffered by an African side in recent World Cup history.
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The fallout from Tunisia’s defeat was immediate. The Tunisian Football Federation dismissed head coach Sabri Lamouchi after just five matches in charge and appointed former Morocco and Saudi Arabia boss Herve Renard until the end of the tournament.
