The nine African countries qualified for the 2026 World Cup are currently playing friendly matches to prepare. Senegal and Morocco, who faced off in the last AFCON final, will be closely watched.
Over two months after the AFCON 2025 final, won by Senegal, and more than a week after CAF’s Appeals Jury decision to award victory to Morocco, the African World Cup teams are back on the field. Starting with the two protagonists of the dramatic final: the Atlas Lions, declared winners off the field, will face Ecuador in Madrid this Friday. Now coached by Mohamed Ouahbi, Achraf Hakimi’s teammates will then play Paraguay in Lens on Tuesday. The Lions of Teranga are also in France, facing Peru at the Stade de France on Saturday (5:00 PM). Pape Thiaw’s men will then return home to face Gambia in Diamniadio on Tuesday.
After twelve years, Algeria is back in the World Cup in Italy. The Fennecs, welcoming back Amine Gouiri and Houssem Aouar, will play against Guatemala in Genoa on Friday and Uruguay in Turin on Tuesday. Before competing in their third consecutive World Cup, Tunisia has set up camp in Canada, one of the tournament’s hosts. Now coached by Sabri Lamouchi, the Carthage Eagles will face Haiti in Toronto on Sunday, followed by a match against Canada on April 1.
A gala match in Barcelona for Egypt
Like Algeria, Ivory Coast is making a return to the World Cup this year. In training in London, the 2023 African champions will play against South Korea in Milton Keynes on Friday and Scotland in Liverpool on Monday. With the promising Yan Diomande out due to injury, coach Emerse Fa will call up Nicolas Pepe, who was left out before the AFCON in Morocco, for these two friendlies. Semi-finalist in the last tournament, Egypt will face Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Friday and Spain on Tuesday. Originally scheduled in Doha, Qatar, the gala match has been relocated to Barcelona.
South Africa will host two matches. Bafana Bafana will play Panama in Durban on Friday and in Cape Town on Tuesday. Ghana will face Austria in Vienna on Friday and Germany in Stuttgart on Monday. Finally, Cape Verde, the underdog of the continent, will play against Chile on Friday and Finland on Monday in Auckland, New Zealand as part of the FIFA Series.
