Former Super Eagles captain and coach Augustine Eguavoen has expressed confidence that African teams have a real chance of competing for the 2026 Fifa World Cup title, emphasising the narrowing gap between Africa and traditional football powerhouses.
After the opening round of matches, only South Africa, Tunisia, Senegal, and Algeria failed to pick up a point.
Morocco, Cape Verde, Egypt, and DR Congo secured impressive draws against Brazil, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal respectively, while Ivory Coast and Ghana claimed late victories over Ecuador and Panama respectively.
Eguavoen said the balance of power in world football has shifted significantly compared to previous editions of the World Cup.
"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," he told Flashscore.
"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."
Eguavoen also highlighted the growing influence of African players across Europe's top leagues as a key factor in the continent’s progress.
"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," he explained.
"They only come together with their national teams to compete, so they already know each other’s qualities and what to expect."
Eguavoen was a member of the Super Eagles squad at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, featuring in four matches across both tournaments.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
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