Former Super Eagles captain and coach Augustine Eguavoen believes African countries have a real chance to fight for the 2026 World Cup title. He points out that the gap between Africa and the usual football giants is getting smaller, according to Saturday PUNCH.
Eguavoen's comments come after a positive start for African teams in the tournament. Morocco, Cape Verde, Egypt, and DR Congo all managed to draw against strong teams like Brazil, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal. Ivory Coast and Ghana even won their matches against Ecuador and Panama. Only South Africa, Tunisia, Senegal, and Algeria did not earn any points in their first games.
Eguavoen said that world football has changed a lot compared to past tournaments.
"What we saw like three or four editions back at the World Cup, you could clearly say that Brazil would win it, Argentina would win, Spain or Germany, but it’s not so anymore. We’re closing the gap, so I believe Africa has a real chance. The good thing is that FIFA has made this tournament very open. If you play well, you win games," he told Flashscore.
He also mentioned that more African players are now playing in top European leagues, which helps boost the continent's football.
"When I talk about our players, I mean African players in general. The majority are now playing in Europe’s top leagues alongside some of the world’s best footballers at the biggest clubs. They only come together with their national teams to compete, so they already know each other’s qualities and what to expect," he explained.
Eguavoen played for the Super Eagles in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. He took part in four matches during those tournaments as a player.
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