Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe has reiterated his belief that an African nation will one day win the FIFA World Cup, insisting the continental governing body will continue investing in football development until that historic achievement is realised.
Motsepe’s comments come on the back of Africa’s most successful FIFA World Cup campaign to date, with a record nine of the continent’s ten representatives progressing beyond the group stage of the expanded 48-team tournament in North America.
The nations that reached the Round of 32 were Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and South Africa, underlining the growing competitiveness of African football on the global stage.
Reflecting on the tournament, the CAF president said the performances of the African teams had reinforced his confidence that the continent is edging closer to producing its first-ever World Cup winner.
“Until we get the World Cup trophy in Africa, we will not rest. If you look at some of our top African countries, they performed well,” Motsepe said.
The South African football administrator revealed that he received praise from several coaches during the tournament, many of whom were impressed by the quality, discipline and competitiveness displayed by African teams against some of the world’s biggest football nations.
“I was talking to some coaches during the World Cup, and some were impressed with how African teams performed. Some performed well against European sides,” he added.
Motsepe singled out Egypt’s spirited display against eventual finalists Argentina and Cape Verde’s remarkable campaign as evidence that African football continues to make significant strides.
“Look at what happened between Egypt and Argentina and the performance of Cape Verde. I was told about the population of Cape Verde, and it tells you that with the right investment and training, Africa will get there, and that is important to us.”
He stressed that success in modern football is not determined solely by population size or financial resources but by sustained investment in youth development, coaching, infrastructure and talent identification.
According to Motsepe, CAF remains committed to strengthening football across the continent through improved coaching education, better competitions and continued investment in facilities, with the long-term objective of producing a FIFA World Cup-winning nation.
While Africa’s performances at the 2026 World Cup demonstrated that the gap between the continent and football’s traditional powerhouses is narrowing, Motsepe believes the journey is far from complete.
For the CAF president, the impressive campaign in North America should serve as a foundation for even greater success, with the ultimate goal remaining unchanged: seeing an African nation lift the FIFA World Cup trophy for the very first time.
