At the end of the first day of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, the results are mixed for Africa. Of the ten nations from the continent involved in the most prestigious competition, only two managed to win: Ivory Coast and Ghana .

It was only in the final bracket (Group L) that Ghana's Black Stars secured their second African victory by beating Panama on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Earlier, Ivory Coast's Elephants had shown the way by defeating Ecuador in Group E.

Africa's financial balance sheet:

1. 2 wins: Ivory Coast, Ghana.
2. 4 draws: Morocco, Cape Verde, Egypt, DR Congo.
3. 4 defeats: Tunisia, South Africa, Algeria, Senegal.

Heroic draws against football giants

While the win ratio remains low, the manner of play was impressive. Four African teams held their own against world-class sides, demonstrating remarkable maturity:

1. Morocco – Brazil (1-1): While predictions favored Neymar and Vinícius Jr.'s Brazil, it was the Atlas Lions who dominated the proceedings. Ismaël Saibari even opened the scoring before the Seleção equalized.
2. Egypt – Belgium (1-1): Mohamed Salah's Pharaohs looked the Red Devils straight in the eye, taking the lead before conceding a draw.
3. Cape Verde – Spain (0-0): The Blue Sharks were heroic. Against La Roja , the reigning European champions, they erected an impenetrable wall to secure a historic clean sheet.
4. DR Congo – Portugal (1-1): Facing Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates, the Leopards conceded an early goal before responding thanks to Yoane Wissa. A historic point for the DRC, whose last participation dates back to 1974 (marked by a dismal 9-0 defeat against Yugoslavia without scoring a single goal).

A poor start and disappointments for the other four

For the rest of the African contingent, the entry into the competition was significantly more painful.

South Africa and Tunisia are entering history through the wrong door

Bafana Bafana suffered a heavy defeat against Mexico (2-0). Powerless, they also received two red cards, a sad first for a World Cup opening match.

For their part, the Eagles of Carthage were the biggest disappointment of the day. Soundly beaten 5-1 by Sweden, Tunisia immediately sacked their coach Sabri Lamouchi, who was promptly replaced by Hervé Renard.

Algeria and Senegal face the reality of the very highest level

Against Argentina, the defending champions, Riyad Mahrez's Algeria could only acknowledge the genius of the five-time reigning world champion, who scored a masterful hat-trick.

Finally, the reigning African champions, the Lions of Teranga , were defeated by France (3-1). Despite a solid first half, Sadio Mané and his teammates succumbed to the clinical finishing of Les Bleus and Kylian Mbappé's brace.

On to day 2

While the Elephants and the Black Stars have salvaged some pride so far, nothing is decided yet. The second matchday will be crucial for qualification, especially since the current competition format allows for the best third-placed teams to be given a second chance. Africa still has every opportunity to make its mark at the World Cup.