Segun Odegbami: African Teams Can Win the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Morocco, Ivory Coast and Cape Verde Impress

Former Nigeria captain and Green Eagles legend Segun Odegbami has declared that winning the FIFA World Cup is now a realistic ambition for African nations, pointing to the performances of several continental representatives at the 2026 tournament as evidence of how far African football has advanced on the global stage.

Odegbami, who scored 23 goals for Nigeria across his international career, made the remarks via Complete Sports, reflecting on the group stage results of Africa’s representatives. “African teams have put up a mixed bag of performances. They have also confirmed that African teams can no longer be under-rated. Winning the World Cup is definitely now within sight and touching distance,” he said.

The former winger was particularly effusive about Morocco, Ivory Coast, Egypt and Cape Verde, crediting all four sides with delivering impressive displays in the group phase. Ghana also earned his admiration after holding England to a goalless draw, a result Odegbami described as a testament to the Black Stars’ resilience and tactical discipline. “The performances of Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt and Cape Verde have been impressive. Ghana showed awesome discipline and fighting spirit against England,” he noted.

Odegbami also acknowledged DR Congo’s efforts, praising the team’s intensity and work rate despite the demanding opposition they faced. “DR Congo have been super athletes, running and fighting with determination,” he added. On Senegal, however, he was more measured, acknowledging that the Teranga Lions were handicapped by the difficulty of their group. “Senegal were in a most difficult group and could not fly,” he remarked.

Cape Verde’s campaign has been among the more striking African stories of the tournament. The Blue Sharks secured a place in the Round of 32 following a draw with Saudi Arabia, equalling Nigeria’s 1994 feat in the process — a historic milestone for the island nation. Meanwhile, Belgium’s victory over Egypt saw the Pharaohs eliminated from the competition, with New Zealand also on the receiving end of a heavy defeat as Belgium topped their group.

Odegbami himself occupies a prominent place in Nigerian football history. He represented the national team at the 1978 and 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring at both tournaments, and ranks second on the Super Eagles’ all-time top scorers list. He was a pivotal figure in the Green Eagles squad that claimed Nigeria’s first-ever AFCON title on home soil at the 1980 edition, hosted in Lagos and other Nigerian cities.

Africa has been allocated nine spots at the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup — the largest allocation the continent has ever received — raising expectations that at least one African side could mount a serious challenge in the knockout rounds. No African nation has ever reached the final of a FIFA World Cup, though Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Morocco in 2022 each reached the quarter-finals, with Morocco’s run to the semi-finals in Qatar representing the continent’s best-ever performance.

With the Round of 32 now approaching, the coming days will determine whether Africa’s remaining representatives can build on the group stage promise that has drawn widespread praise, including from legends of the game such as Odegbami.