World Cup 2026: African teams' results after the first round

18.06.26 FT World Cup

Czechia

1

:

South Africa

1

The first round of the World Cup wrapped up on Wednesday night into Thursday. With 10 African teams in contention, results were mixed: two wins, four draws, and four defeats. There are clear signs of hope, but also warning signals as we head into the second round.

Two standout victories

Ivory Coast and Ghana kicked off their campaigns with real intent. The Elephants edged Ecuador 1-0 to grab three precious points in a tightly contested Group E. Ghana followed a similar script, with the Black Stars defeating Panama 1-0 on Wednesday to claim second place in Group L behind England, who thrashed Croatia 4-2.

Draws that feel like wins

Cape Verde pulled off the biggest achievement of the opening round by holding Spain to a goalless draw. The Blue Sharks stood firm against La Roja, earning a valuable point in Group H in their very first appearance at the tournament.

DR Congo also held Portugal to a 1-1 draw thanks to a historic goal from Yoane Wissa in the 45+5th minute. After 52 years since their last World Cup goal in 1974, the Leopards found the net again. Now, progressing from Group K is a real possibility for the Congolese side.

Egypt was the other pleasant surprise in the first round of the World Cup. The Pharaohs took the lead against Belgium before the Belgians equalized through an own goal by Mohamed Hany. The Egyptians delivered a disciplined, tactically sound performance and put on a high-quality display.

Meanwhile, Morocco nearly snatched victory from Brazil and their galaxy of stars. After Ismael Saibari's opener, the Seleção drew level thanks to the brilliance of Vinicius Junior.

Setbacks that must be quickly overcome

It wasn't all smooth sailing in the first round. There were a few major setbacks and disappointments. Tunisia collapsed against Sweden, losing 1-5. The Eagles are now led by Hervé Renard after the dismissal of Lamouchi.

South Africa produced one of the round's poorest performances, losing 0-2 to Mexico with barely any presence in the match. Their woes were compounded by two red cards for Bafana Bafana, making the rest of their tournament an even steeper challenge.

Algeria suffered a harsh 0-3 loss to Argentina, undone by a shaky defense and a sensational hat-trick from Lionel Messi.

Senegal also fell 1-3 to France despite a brilliant first half. The Lions held their own but couldn't match Les Bleus for the full 90 minutes. Substitute Ibrahima Mbaye salvaged some pride for the Teranga Lions. Now the mission is clear for Sadio Mané and company: qualification is still possible, but the window is narrowing with just two group games remaining.

The World Cup is heating up, and African teams are facing divergent fortunes after the first round. The second round kicks off today, June 18, with South Africa taking on the Czech Republic.

Nafongo TRAORE |

News Editorfr, ar, en

Nafongon Moussa TRAORE, Burkinabè de 25 ans, est passionné de football, est rédacteur pour Foot Africa et commentateur pour BurkiFoot.

Related teams and leagues

Czechia

South Africa

World Cup