2026 World Cup: Cape Verde tenacious to the end, the highs and lows of the round of 16

Tops

Morocco: still unbeaten since the start of the World Cup, Morocco was shaken in its round of 32 match against the Netherlands. The Atlas Lions, who snatched the equalizer (1-1) in the final moments thanks to Issa Diop, punched their ticket for the round of 16 on penalties (3-2) with a decisive Yassine Bounou, as is often the case in this situation. Mohamed Ouahbi's men were less commanding than usual, but that's part of the journey when dreaming big in a World Cup. Now, next up is the round of 16 this Saturday (5pm GMT) against Canada.

Egypt: Egypt also remains unbeaten at the end of these round of 32 matches. The Pharaohs had a scare but managed to secure a draw (1-1) against the Socceroos before winning in the penalty shootout (4-2) with a panenka from Mohamed Salah, a sign of a relaxed leader who led Egypt to the round of 16. A first since 1934. The Pharaohs will challenge defending World Cup champions Argentina in the round of 16 on Tuesday (4pm GMT).

Cape Verde, a campaign for the ages

This is the team that has defied the odds most in this 2026 World Cup. And probably the underdog that impressed the most as well. The Blue Sharks made life extremely difficult for Argentina, the reigning world champions, pushing them into extra time, equalizing twice thanks to Deroy Duarte and Sydney Lopes Cabral before conceding in the 111^th minute (own goal by Diney) against the teammates of a Lionel Messi left frustrated by Vozinha, despite his opening goal just before the half-hour mark (29^th).

Cape Verde won everyone's hearts, and represented the continent with dignity despite having players of modest status who were discovering the World Cup for the first time in their careers. History will remember that Cape Verde did not lose a single match in 90 minutes during its first ever World Cup appearance, despite tough opponents such as Spain (0-0), Uruguay (2-2), and Argentina (1-1 before extra time). Credit also goes to Pedro Leitão Brito "Bubista", at the helm since 2020 and who has completely changed the face of this former second-tier team, now used to troubling top-tier sides.

Flops

Ivory Coast, Senegal, DR Congo and the curse of the 86^th minute

If any team exited the round of 32 with the most regrets, it was Senegal. The Lions of Teranga, whose World Cup run has been marked by off-field issues exclusively revealed by Sport News Africa, disappointed right to the end. Leading 2-0 up to the 86^th minute against Belgium, the men coached by Pape Thiaw, himself the architect of his own downfall, conceded in a dramatic three minutes—allowing a goal in the 86^th (Lukaku) and the equalizer in the 89^th (Tielemans) before losing on a penalty at the end of extra time (120+5).

A catastrophic campaign made worse by a structural and administrative fiasco, as exclusively revealed by Sport News Africa after the Lions' elimination, for a Senegal side considered one of Africa's greatest hopes for victory.

But before Senegal, Ivory Coast also suffered a similar scenario, falling easily to Norway despite a final quarter hour within reach after Amad Diallo's equalizer, once again decisive off the bench. The Elephants conceded the losing goal in the 86^th minute as well (Erling Haaland) and exited the competition. One of Africa's biggest disappointments of this World Cup. Perhaps it is also time here to truly begin the generational transition, particularly in an aging midfield.

Meanwhile, DR Congo also suffered the curse of the 86^th minute against England, whom they troubled, leading until the 74^th minute and Harry Kane's equalizer, which changed everything for the Three Lions. The Bayern Munich striker finally broke the Leopards in the 86^th with a powerful shot under the crossbar of a still-monsterous Lionel Mpasi. A lapse in the final moments—infuriating, but symptomatic of African teams that still need to improve their focus throughout an entire match.

While Ghana lacked solutions and was narrowly beaten (0-1) by Colombia, Algeria, for its part, was a major disappointment, losing (0-2) to Switzerland with a lackluster performance, capping a disappointing campaign at the end of which the future of Vladimir Petkovic is already at stake, as revealed by Sport News Africa on Friday.

Finally, South Africa also exited the 2026 World Cup following a cruel last-minute defeat (90+2) against Canada, Morocco's opponent tonight.