2026 World Cup: African Teams Show Up to the Challenge in Opening Match

Luanda: With the exception of South Africa, the African representatives showed a very good performance in the opening match of the World Cup taking place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, said Angolan coach Simo Languinha on Thursday in Luanda. According to Angola Press News Agency, analyzing the performance of the African teams in the World Cup after the conclusion of the first round, the coach said the response imposed by the debutant Cape Verde team against the experienced Spain (0-0) allowed the world and football experts to assess the performance of African football in a more balanced way. He explained that, although debuting, the clarity and security in their approach to the game revealed sporting intelligence and the hope for a more daring second round, aiming for a possible victory against Uruguay. Regarding the DRC, even though they didn't win, he emphasized that the 1-1 draw snatched in an open game against Portugal, will motivate Colombia to pay more attention in the coming match, since it became clear that the Congolese also know how to attack. Regarding Morocco's draw against Brazil (1-1), Simo Languinha said it wasn't a total surprise, given the level of some Moroccan players, such as Hakimi and Brahim Díaz, and the sporting crisis registered in the Brazilian national team in recent times. Meanwhile, he mentioned that teams like Côte d'Ivoire, which beat Ecuador (1-0, Group E), Ghana, which beat Panama (1-0, Group L), and Egypt, which drew with Belgium (1-1, Group G), have the power to impose themselves in the event. According to the source, this capacity also extends to Tunisia, despite losing to Sweden (1-5, Group F), to Senegal, which suffered a setback against France (1-3, Group I), and to Algeria, which was thrashed by Argentina (0-3). However, he stressed the need for African representatives to focus on winning in the second round to keep their hopes alive of advancing to the next phase, depending on themselves, especially those who drew and those who won in the first round. "T his World Cup must serve as a barometer for all African countries, to start seeing what to improve and what needs to be done for the future," he concluded. Simo Languinha, former coach of the under-17 national team, is linked to the development of several generations of football players who have excelled in the country and beyond over the last decade.