Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong believes Morocco have the quality to defeat France and continue Africa’s historic push at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Troost-Ekong praised the progress made by African teams on the global stage and highlighted Morocco’s remarkable run at the 2022 World Cup, where they became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals.
He believes the continent’s performances in the ongoing tournament show that African teams are capable of competing against the world’s best sides.
Reflecting on Morocco’s groundbreaking campaign four years ago, Troost-Ekong said: "At the last World Cup, Morocco broke down those barriers and showed everyone what is possible."
"Based on what we have seen so far in this tournament, many African teams, players, and individual performances have demonstrated that they can compete with the very best in the world," he added.
The former Nigeria international defender expressed his hope that an African team can surpass Morocco’s previous achievement and go even further in football’s biggest competition.
"I am very hopeful that this could be the World Cup where an African team goes even further than Morocco did. If they reach that stage, hopefully they can go all the way," he said.
Morocco’s impressive performances have once again made them the leading African contenders at the tournament, and Troost-Ekong believes the Atlas Lions represent the continent’s strongest chance of making history.
With Morocco preparing for a blockbuster clash against France on Thursday, 9 July, Troost-Ekong believes they will once again carry the hopes of millions of African supporters.
"Morocco is definitely the first team that comes to mind," he says.
Troost-Ekong also acknowledged the efforts of other African nations who impressed during the competition, pointing to Senegal and Ivory Coast’s performances before their eliminations.
"Senegal and Ivory Coast both did exceptionally well too until their eliminations, and they were a bit unlucky."
The former Watford player remains confident that the gap between African football and the traditional global powers continues to close, with Morocco now aiming to create another historic moment against one of the tournament favourites.
Morocco’s meeting with France is set to be one of the standout fixtures of the World Cup knockout stages, as the Atlas Lions look to build on their record-breaking 2022 campaign and keep Africa’s dream of lifting the trophy alive.
Wale Adejumo
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