Incredible 2018!
After a lot of background work & consultations, I'm delighted to announce the birth of the African Sports Centre for Data, Research Performance & Safety (ASC).
Our mission is to champion African sports excellence through data & research in performance & safety.
🇿🇦 OUT: South Africa becomes the first African nation to be eliminated in the Round of 32 at the World Cup following their 1-0 loss to Canada.
Nonetheless, it remains Bafana’s best ever performance in World Cup history.
🌍 OFFICIAL: 9/10 of Africa’s representatives at the 2026 World Cup book knockout stage qualification, the most ever recorded by Africa in a single tournament.
✅ South Africa
✅ Morocco
✅ Côte d’Ivoire
✅ Cape Verde
✅ Egypt
✅ Ghana
✅ Senegal
✅ DR Congo🆕
✅ Algeria🆕
🌍 OFFICIAL: Seven out of Africa’s 10 representatives at the 2026 World Cup have already booked knockout stage qualification, the most ever recorded by Africa in a single tournament.
✅ South Africa
✅ Morocco
✅ Côte d’Ivoire
✅ Cape Verde
✅ Egypt
✅ Ghana
✅ Senegal (🆕)
🇪🇬 OFFICIAL: Mohamed Salah’s Egypt have qualified beyond the World Cup group stage for the first time in their history.
It has taken 92 years to achieve the historic feat.
🇬🇭 OFFICIAL: Ghana have qualified for the 2026 World Cup Round of 32 with a match the spare (against Croatia).
It is the Black Stars’ first progress past the World Cup group stage since reaching the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals.
🇨🇻 QUALIFIED: Debutants Cape Verde have qualified for the 2026 World Cup Round of 32 following a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia.
It is the first time since 1982 an African nation (Cameroon) has drawn all its three group stage matches at the World Cup.
🇸🇳 FIVE: With their 5-0 defeat of Iraq, Senegal have scored the most goals ever recorded by an African nation in a single match in World Cup history.
The previous record of four goals was jointly held by Algeria and Morocco.
🇲🇦 CLASH: Morocco are set to face the Netherlands in the 2026 World Cup Round of 32.
Their only previous World Cup meeting ended in a 2-1 group stage win for the Netherlands in 1994, coincidentally a tournament hosted by the USA.
🇹🇳 : ANNIHILATED: Tunisia suffer 3-1 defeat to Netherlands to end their 2026 World Cup campaign with 12 goals conceded after a 4-0 loss to Japan and a 5-1 defeat to Sweden.
They are yet to progress past the group stage despite 7 World Cup appearances.
🇨🇮 QUALIFIED: Côte d’Ivoire beat Curacao 2-0 to book ticket for 2026 World Cup Round of 32, joining Morocco and South Africa.
It is the first time more than two African nations have qualified from the group stage in a single World Cup edition.
🇲🇦 QUALIFIED: Morocco beat Haiti 4-2 to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup Round of 32.
It is the second time in World Cup history an African nation has scored four goals in a single match, following Algeria’s 4-2 triumph over South Korea at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
🇪🇬 KEY: Egypt’s Mohamed Salah ranks 4th among all players at the World Cup for key passes per game (4.0).
The Liverpool star tops the list for African players, followed by Côte d’Ivoire’s Yan Diomande (3.5).
🇬🇭 UNBEATABLE: By their 0-0 draw with England, Ghana’s Black Stars remain undefeated in their second games in World Cup history.
✅ 2006: 2-0 win vs Czech Republic
⏸️ 2010: 1-1 draw vs Australia
⏸️ 2014: 2-2 draw vs Germany
✅ 2022: 3-2 win vs S.Korea
⏸️ 2026: 0-0 vs England
🇸🇳 WEAKNESS: Senegal have lost their last four matches against European opposition at the World Cup following 2026 defeats to Norway and France.
The Lions face Iraq in their next game, having won their last World Cup match against Asian opposition (3-1 against Qatar in 2022).
🇪🇬 BROKEN: With their 3-1 win over New Zealand, Mohamed Salah’s Egypt have registered their first ever victory in a match at the World Cup.
It has taken 9 matches (1 win, 3 draws, 5 defeats) over the course of 4 World Cup tournaments spanning 92 years.
🇨🇻 HISTORY: Kevin Lenini scores a landmark goal to give World Cup debutants Cape Verde a 1-0 lead against Uruguay on matchday two of the 2026 World Cup.
It is the West Africans’ first ever goal in World Cup history following the 0-0 opening day draw with Spain.
🇹🇳 LOOSE: By their 4-0 loss to Japan, Tunisia have now conceded 9 goals in their opening 2 games at the 2026 World Cup after a 5-1 defeat to Sweden.
It is the most total goals they have conceded over a group stage at a World Cup tournament (with one more game still to play).
🇨🇮 SEARCHING: Deniz Undav’s goal for Germany condemns Côte d’Ivoire to a 2-1 defeat in their second group game at the 2026 World Cup.
Côte d’Ivoire, following an opening day 1-0 win over Ecuador, continue their search for a second successive win at a World Cup tournament.
🌍 Morocco’s 1-0 victory over Scotland is Africa’s 40th match victory in World Cup history.
With 174 total matches played since debuting in 1934 through Egypt, Africa’s win rate stands at 23.0%, increasing marginally from 22.8% at the start of the 2026 World Cup.