Former Nigeria midfielder Mutiu Adepoju in an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa has hailed Africa’s performances after the opening round of matches at the FIFA World Cup 2026, while challenging the continent’s representatives to raise their game as the race for the knockout stages intensifies.
Speaking exclusively to Footy-Africa, Adepoju said Africa’s representatives had given a good account of themselves despite the mixed results.
“I think we have seen some very encouraging performances from the African teams,” Adepoju said.
“Of course, everyone always wants victories, but sometimes the manner of the performance is equally important. The teams that won deserved a lot of credit, while those that picked up draws showed they can compete against strong opposition.”
Africa sent a record ten teams to the expanded 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, producing a mixture of encouraging results and disappointing defeats.
Ivory Coast and Ghana emerged as the continent’s only winners, while Morocco, Egypt, Cape Verde and DR Congo picked up valuable draws against some of world football’s biggest names. Algeria, Tunisia, South Africa, and Senegal, however, suffered defeats in their opening fixtures.
Few people understand the demands of the World Cup better than Adepoju. The former Real Sociedad midfielder represented Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup in the United States and the 1998 tournament in France. He also played a key role in Nigeria’s 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph and remains fondly remembered for his famous goal against Spain in a memorable 3-2 victory at France ’98.
The 55-year-old was particularly impressed by Ghana and Ivory Coast, who began their campaigns with crucial victories.
“I was very happy watching Ghana and Ivory Coast win their first games. When you win your opening game at a World Cup, everything opens up for you. Even though both teams did not play too well, they got the wins at this all that matters at tournaments like this.”
“Those two teams have put themselves in a very good position, and I hope they understand what they have done. Now is not the time to relax. They have to build on it.”
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Adepoju also praised Cape Verde and DR Congo for earning impressive draws against Spain and Portugal respectively.
“Cape Verde holding Spain to a goalless draw is not a small thing. Spain are former world champions. And DR Congo drawing with Portugal on their return to the World Cup after more than 50 years is beautiful.”
“Those are the kind of performances that show African football is improving. The players are no longer afraid of the big names.”
Morocco’s 1-1 draw against Brazil also caught his attention.
“Morocco drew with Brazil, a team that has won the World Cup five times. Since Qatar 2022, they have continued to show that they belong among the best teams in the world. A draw against Brazil is a result they can build on.”
While praising the positive results, Adepoju did not shy away from addressing the disappointments. Algeria lost 3-0 to defending champions Argentina, Tunisia suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden, South Africa fell 2-0 to Mexico, while Senegal were beaten 3-1 by France.
“Look, I will not pretend those results were okay. Tunisia and Algeria have quality players and those scorelines do not reflect the quality in their squads. But this is the World Cup. If you lose concentration even for a few minutes, you get punished. The important thing now is how they respond.”
“Senegal losing to France is not a disaster because France are one of the best teams in the world, but they need to regroup and come back stronger. The same goes for South Africa. Their next game is everything,” he added.
Matchday 2. Let’s keep the journey rolling Africa. 🌍❤️#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/TJ8sYPN50n
— CAF (@CAF_Online) June 18, 2026
Adepoju concluded with a rallying call for all ten African nations.
“The teams that won must not relax. They have to consolidate on those victories and perform even better in their next matches. The teams that drew need to turn those performances into wins, while the teams that lost have to show character and bounce back.”
“Africa has come here with ten teams, more than ever before. That is something to be proud of, but pride alone is not enough. Every single team still has more to give. The group stage is far from over and this is the time to show the world what African football is really about.”
With two matches still remaining for every nation, Adepoju believes Africa’s World Cup journey is only just beginning.
