Saturday 11/October/2025 – 02:42 AM
With the end of the African qualifiers approaching World Cup 2026Surprises are beginning to appear on the horizon, as the African continent is witnessing the emergence of a number of unknown teams that may write history by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time, in light of the new system that grants Africa 9 direct tickets to participate in the tournament that will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Unknown teams that we may see in the World Cup for the first time
Among the most prominent teams that caught the attention is the Benin national team, which is experiencing a golden period with local technical leadership that was able to achieve distinguished results against major teams such as South Africa and Nigeria.
Benin relied on a new generation of players active in the French and Belgian leagues, and succeeded in imposing an organized and balanced playing style that made it among the serious contenders for the top spot.
The Benin national team leads its group over South Africa and Nigeria, and needs to win in the last round against Nigeria in order to secure its first historic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, or a draw provided that South Africa falters against Rwanda.
We cannot ignore what the Cape Verdean national team offers, which relies on a group of fighting players, as Cape Verde’s advanced defensive and offensive performance makes it a difficult opponent even against the major traditional teams such as Cameroon, for example.
The Cape Verde national team occupies first place in its group at the expense of the Cameroon national team, and it needs to win in the last round against Eswatini in order to secure its first historic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, or a draw, provided that Cameroon falters against Angola.
As for the Madagascar national team, it has become one of the most prominent inspiring stories in African football, after it continued its amazing performance in recent years thanks to the harmony between its players and the high team spirit. The team achieved remarkable results in its group, which brought it close to continuing its historic dream towards the World Cup, even if it is via the playoffs.
The Madagascar national team occupies second place in its group and is close to reaching the final playoff, in which only one team from the continent will qualify for the global playoff, as it must win over Mali in the last round in the hope of reaching the African playoff, otherwise any stumble may prevent it from qualifying.
Gabon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have also entered the circle of serious competition, after years of absence from the forefront. Gabon developed its artistic project with significant government support and the recruitment of European coaches, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo benefited from its professional players in Portugal and France to build a team capable of competing with the big boys.
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