2026 World Cup: Ex-Super Eagles and Nice star ranks 3 African contenders

Former Super Eagles and Nice defender Onyekachi Apam has weighed in on the chances of African nations at the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.

Anticipation is already building ahead of the 2026 edition, which will be the first-ever to be jointly hosted by three countries, with the United States, Mexico and Canada set to co-host the tournament. 

The increase in the number of teams from 32 to 48 for the first time in history has also seen Africa’s representation move from five to 10 nations, increasing the continent’s chances of winning their maiden trophy. 

While several of Africa’s traditional powerhouses have secured qualification, Cape Verde will be making their World Cup debut, while the Democratic Republic of Congo are set for their first appearance at the tournament since 1974.

Despite the increase in the number of participating nations, Nigeria failed to qualify after losing to DR Congo in the CAF playoff final, marking a second consecutive absence from the World Cup, after they also failed to reach the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Onyekachi Apam predicts Africa’s top performers at 2026 World Cup 

Since the inaugural World Cup in 1930, only eight nations have been crowned world champions, and none have come from Africa.

The continent’s best-ever World Cup performance came at the 2022 tournament when Morocco reached the semifinals and eventually finished fourth. The Atlas Lions defeated the likes of Belgium, Spain and Portugal on their remarkable run before they were eliminated by France in the semifinals.

With more teams participating in 2026, there is a growing belief that an African nation could surpass that achievement and even go on to become the first African country to win the World Cup.

Sharing his thoughts on the conversation, Apam believes Morocco remains Africa’s strongest team and are capable of producing another deep run at the tournament.

Other strong African contenders

Apart from Morocco, Apam also identified Senegal and Ivory Coast as the other African nations capable of making surprise runs at the tournament.

Senegal are currently ranked 14th in the world and famously reached the quarter-finals in their debut World Cup appearance in 2002. 

The Teranga Lions boast an impressive squad featuring the likes of Sadio Mané, Iliman Ndiaye, and several other talented players, making them one of Africa’s strongest contenders heading into the tournament.

Meanwhile, Ivory Coast return to the World Cup after missing the previous two editions. The Elephants also have a depth of talent and showed their class in a 2-1 win over France in a warm-up friendly on Thursday.

“Senegal and Ivory Coast, I believe can as well”, Apam concluded.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, with African nations hoping to make history on football’s biggest stage. The tournament will begin with a clash involving an African representative, as South Africa take on co-hosts Mexico in the opening match.