World Cup: Meet nine African teams in the knockout stage

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Africa will have a record nine representatives in the knockout stage of the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Algeria and DR Congo are the latest teams from the continent to seal their last-32 ticket at the ongoing competition following their last group stage matches on Sunday.

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They joined Morocco, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Cabo Verde, Senegal and Ghana, who had previously confirmed their places in the Round of 32.n

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DR Congo qualified after their first victory, 3-1 over Uzbekistan in Atlanta.

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The result earned the Leopards four points and took them to the top of the eight best third-placed teams. They will face England next on Wednesday.

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Algeria, which squeezed a 3-3 draw against Austria on Sunday, progressed to the last 32 as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.

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The Desert Warriors finished third in Group J with four points from three matches, behind Argentina and Austria.

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The result completed a remarkable group-stage campaign for Africa, with nine of its 10 participating nations advancing to the knockout rounds — an unprecedented achievement for the continent at the FIFA World Cup.

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Tunisia were the only African side eliminated after finishing bottom of Group F without a point.

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With 90 per cent of its representatives still in contention, Africa heads into the knockout rounds with renewed confidence and one of its strongest-ever showings at the tournament.

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Check the full round of 32 fixtures of all African teams below: https://punchng.com/world-cup-2026-round-of-32-full-fixtures-dates-venues-revealed/n

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