Africa Front

Ivory Coast Battle Their Way Into the Round of 32

Q: What is this sports story about?

Ivory Coast secured their place in the World Cup knockout rounds with wins over Ecuador and Curacao.

Q: Who published this story?

This story was published by Africa Front on June 27, 2026 and curated on Africa Front.

Q: What related topics does this story cover?

Ivory Coast News, African Football

June 27, 2026

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Ivory Coast Battle Their Way Into the Round of 32

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Ghana, Morocco, and Egypt still unbeaten

This 2026 World Cup is off to a great start for changing the paradigms regarding the level of African teams whenever they face European or American squads. And after two matchdays, Ghana, Morocco, and even Egypt are proving convincingly that the gap in level has drastically narrowed, and the inferiority complex is fading away.

After holding Brazil (1-1) in their first outing, Morocco claimed victory (1-0) against Scotland and will battle for the top spot in Group C with the Seleçao all the way to the end of the group phase. With a team efficient both defensively and offensively, Mohamed Ouahbi has stuck with the same starting eleven since the competition began, and it's working very well.

See also : World Cup 2026: Ghana hold England to a draw and edge closer to qualification

Despite a crisis that has lasted for months and a new staff put in place just two months before the kickoff of this World Cup, Ghana's Black Stars are surprising everyone. After beating Panama (1-0), Ghana held England to a draw on Tuesday night (0-0), and could even have beaten the Three Lions if the penalty on Adu in the 79th minute hadn't been missed.

Finally, Egypt continues its progress under Hossam Hassan. After frustrating Belgium (1-1), the Pharaohs are now top of Group G following their win (3-1) against New Zealand with a goal from their talisman, Mohamed Salah. A perfect start to the campaign for these four nations, all still unbeaten.

Cape Verde, the sensation continues

The African surprise of this first round is none other than Cape Verde. After a historic draw against Spain (0-0), the Blue Sharks pulled it off again by almost winning against Uruguay. But even without a win, Bubista's men put on a show with another draw (2-2) and some stunning goals, like Kevin Pina’s free kick to open the scoring in the 21st minute.

With two points and a healthy goal difference (0), Cape Verde can even hope to qualify for the second round if they manage to beat already-eliminated Saudi Arabia on the final day. That would be an extra bonus for a journey already making history.

See also : World Cup 2026: despite an exceptional Mpasi, DR Congo fall to Colombia

Meanwhile, DR Congo ran out of steam. The Leopards, boosted by their brave performance against Portugal (1-1), weren’t able to follow through against Colombia from Tuesday night into Wednesday, and lost (0-1). But all is not lost for the DRC, who can still aim for the second round if they score a big win against Uzbekistan this Sunday.

Senegal on the brink of elimination, Ivory Coast self-sabotage

Senegal and Tunisia are the two biggest African disappointments of this 2026 World Cup. While the Carthage Eagles were less anticipated and are already eliminated after another defeat (0-4) despite Hervé Renard’s fighting words before the match, the Teranga Lions continue to disappoint.

Although they were relatively reassuring in their game against France, Senegal totally lost their way against Norway (2-3) with unforgivable individual errors at this stage of the competition. And yet, Ismaila Sarr found his aim by scoring twice. With zero points and a goal difference of (-3), the Teranga Lions no longer control their destiny (even a win against Iraq wouldn’t be enough mathematically) and are already on the brink of elimination.

See also : World Cup 2026: why Senegal can still snatch qualification

If there’s one African team that can be embarrassed by their result on the second day of the 2026 World Cup, it’s Ivory Coast. Though they were ahead up until the hour mark, the Elephants self-destructed towards the end of the match, first offensively with Simon Adingra’s miss, then defensively by conceding a goal at the very end of stoppage time (90+4)—a goal that could have been avoided if Ghislain Konan had held the offside line. Small lapses in concentration that must absolutely be avoided if the triple African champions want to go further in the competition.

See also : World Cup 2026: full schedule, groups, matches

Finally, Algeria bounced back against Jordan (2-1) with some tactical adjustments by Vladimir Petkovic, notably starting Riyad Mahrez, who provided an assist. The Fennecs are back on track and remain in contention for qualification for the round of 32. South Africa also picked up their first points in the competition against Czechia (1-1) and hope to hold their own against South Korea in their last group match.