Former African Footballer of the Year Kalusha Bwalya has warned that the FIFA World Cup will remain a tough challenge for African teams but says the continent has fresh reasons to be optimistic. With the number of African nations in the tournament nearly doubling, the chances of surprise results and deeper runs have improved.

Bwalya noted that in previous decades, Africa was represented by just two or three teams, but the expanded 2026 tournament gives more opportunities. He added that while African teams will always face strong opponents, the draw sometimes works in their favour, with groups typically including one European side and one South American or Asian team.

South Africa’s Bafana Bafana will feature alongside Senegal, Morocco, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Ghana.

–ChannelAfrica–