Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has reaffirmed his belief that an African nation will one day lift the FIFA World Cup, insisting the continent will continue investing in football development until that goal becomes a reality.
Motsepe made the remarks after Africa enjoyed its most successful FIFA World Cup campaign, with nine of the continent’s 10 representatives advancing beyond the group stage of the expanded 48-team tournament.
Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and South Africa all reached the Round of 32, while Morocco and Egypt progressed to the quarter-finals, marking another milestone for African football.
Confidence grows after historic campaign
Reflecting on the tournament, Motsepe said the performances of African nations had strengthened his belief that the continent is moving closer to producing its first World Cup champion.
“Until we get the World Cup trophy in Africa, we will not rest. If you look at some of our top African countries, they performed well,” Motsepe said.
He described the tournament as another important step in the development of African football, highlighting the growing competitiveness of the continent’s national teams on the global stage.
Investment remains the priority
The CAF president reiterated that continued investment in football infrastructure, youth development and national team programmes remains central to the organisation’s long-term vision.
Motsepe believes sustained progress at youth and senior levels will eventually enable an African nation to break football’s final frontier by winning the World Cup.
Africa has made significant strides in recent editions of the tournament, with Morocco becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals in 2022 before following it up with another quarter-final appearance in 2026.
The expanded World Cup also saw a record number of African teams reach the knockout stages, reinforcing optimism that the gap between the continent and the traditional football powers continues to narrow.
For Motsepe, however, the mission remains unfinished until an African nation lifts football’s biggest prize.
