World Cup 2026 African underdogs: Cape Verde, DR Congo, and Algeria prepare for historic campaigns

Cape Verde

Africa was allotted ten slots for the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup 2026, and the second smallest populated nation in the world - Cape Verde - sprang a big surprise by topping its group in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) World Cup qualifiers. Iceland was the smallest country to compete in the World Cup in Russia in 2018.

With around five and a half million people spread over a ten-Island archipelago located on the Central Atlantic Ocean and on the West African side, Cape Verde took on a continental giant like Cameroon for an automatic entry and took the centre stage in the qualifying round games.

Confirmation of Cape Verde's World Cup debut was initially delayed, when down by two goals, it came back to draw the match against Libya 3-3 on October 8 at the Tripoli International Stadium. Five days afterwards - on October 13- in its last home match, Cape Verde, known as the "Blue Sharks", thrashed Eswatini 3-0 at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, Praia. It was Cape Verde's fourth straight win against Eswatini, a landlocked country in Southern Africa.

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Cape Verde will be watched by the curious when the World Cup gets off the ground next month. It is drawn in a group that has Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, none of which it has locked horns with before. Some of its players ply their trade as professionals in Portugal, the USA, the Netherlands and Spain, and hence bring quality to the football played by their team.

The Manager of the team, the 56-year-old native and a former captain of the team for eleven years, is Pedro Leitao Brito. He goes well with the nickname Bubista, a veteran at the dugout. He has been there for 62 matches (won 29, drawn 16 and lost 17). "We are a small country, but only small on the map. Our heart is big," he said after his team's qualification was confirmed. He was been with the team for six years and five months. The team will play two friendly matches against Serbia and Bermuda, leading to the World Cup proper.

Cape Verde won seven, lost one and drew two matches to book its place in the finals. In all 53 African teams took part to identify the nine direct slots (topper in each of the nine groups) and one through the African and FIFA playoffs process from the best four runner-up teams, and finally, with a brush with the intercontinental team, which turned out to be Jamaica.

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DR Congo

It was a fierce show of determination and tenacity that has enabled DR Congo to achieve its dream of playing in the FIFA World Cup for the first time in its new avatar; some 52 years ago, the nation played as Zaire. It's with pride and joy that it will travel to the greatest show on earth in June-July in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The Central African nation played a record 13 matches, toiling for over 1200 minutes on the pitch from November 2023 till April 1, 2026. And that's some twenty months after it was eliminated from the previous Doha World Cup 2022 final qualification matches against Morocco at home in Kinshasa and away in Casablanca. DR Congo drew 1-1 at home but was drubbed 1-4 in the away match by Morocco, which, of course, had an outstanding tournament in Doha, going down in the semi-finals.

While Cape Verde made the World Cup cut on the basis of its seven wins in home and away qualifiers (from its group comprising 6 teams) and got a direct entry into the finals, DR Congo, as one of the four best group runner ups, advanced to the African playoffs where it beat heavyweights Cameroon and Nigeria (penalties) at a neutral venue in Rabat and thereafter nudged out Jamaica in the FIFA inter-continental qualifier at the Akron Stadium in Mexico with the tense match going into extra time after striker Cedric Bakambu struck twice, but was penalised for off side violation. Eventually, in the tenth minute of extra time, centre back Alex Taunzebe broke through and found the target that stunned the world of football and the Jamaican fans.

The discerning have been debating on the issue of Africa being allowed to field a tenth team at the World Cup, but its supporters would say that DR Congo made it only after going through the grind in 13 matches. And that they did not concede more than one goal over five hours in the playoffs against Cameroon, Nigeria and Jamaica.

The man who was happiest at the venue in Mexico was the team manager, Sebastien Desabre. The 49 -year-old has been working with the team since August 2022 and has shown them the path, winning 29 matches of the 48 played in the build-up to the big competition. The watchword for him has been strengthening the team's defence, and at the same time giving freedom to Bakambu and Yoane Wissa.

DR Congo - also known as the Leopards - will play Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan in the first round of group matches, after warm-up games against Denmark and Chile.

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Algeria

Most of the African teams are a treat to watch. Algeria is one of them. The country has returned to the World Cup after a gap of twelve years, after a super show against Germany in the round of 16 group match of the 1974 edition in Germany. Twelve years later, and blessed with Bundesliga professional and striker Mohamed Amoura, who pumped in ten goals, Algeria won eight group matches of the CAF World Cup qualifiers.

Algeria has taken part in four previous World Cup competitions. It has a lot of experience. The team routed Somalia 3-0 to clinch its position as a group topper and ensured its berth in the World Cup.

Clearly, Algeria would look upon the likes of Amoura and Riyad Mahrez to show them the way. Amora has played 150 club matches and 41 for his country and has scored 50 and 18 goals. Mahrez and the EPL veteran have played 453 club games and 101 for their country. He has scored 114 and 33 goals.

Manager Vladimir Petkovic took charge of the team in February 2024 and has had remarkable success, enabling the team to win 27 of the 39 matches played. The Bosnian has coached Switzerland for seven years and a number of professional teams in Turkey and Italy.