Tunisia, Ivory Coast out as Africa’s World Cup hopes narrow

LUSAKA — Africa’s 2026 World Cup campaign is shrinking, after Tunisia and Ivory Coast were eliminated in the group stage on Saturday 20 June 2026 and Egypt fought to stay alive.

The setbacks matter because Africa arrived at the 2026 tournament with a record nine teams and high expectations, and a clutch of weekend results has tested that ambition. The eliminations of Tunisia and Ivory Coast, together with an opening defeat for South Africa, leave the continent’s remaining sides under pressure to deliver in the knockout phase. This report is part of Kwacha News’s continuing sports coverage of the finals.

Tunisia were eliminated after a 4-0 loss to Japan on Saturday 20 June 2026 in Monterrey, having earlier lost 5-1 to Sweden, Al Jazeera reported. Two heavy defeats left the Carthage Eagles without a path out of their group.

Ivory Coast went out the same day, beaten 2-1 by Germany on 20 June 2026, Al Jazeera said. Deniz Undav scored in the 60th minute and again in stoppage time to settle the contest in Germany’s favour.

The continent’s troubles began at the opening. South Africa lost 2-0 to Mexico in the tournament opener on 11 June 2026, Al Jazeera reported, an early jolt for a side that has since worked to recover ground in its group. Kwacha News covered that opening defeat to Mexico as the finals got under way.

Egypt, meanwhile, was still fighting for survival. The team drew 1-1 with Belgium on 15 June 2026 and faced New Zealand in Vancouver on Sunday 21 June, before closing Group G against Iran, Al Jazeera reported. A result against New Zealand would keep Egypt’s hopes, and those of forward Mohamed Salah, alive into the final round of group matches.

Nine African teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia, Al Jazeera reported. That tally, the largest African contingent at a finals, set the bar against which the weekend’s results are now being weighed. Kwacha News profiled the record nine African teams before the tournament began.

The two eliminations land hard against that backdrop. Of the nine sides that travelled to the finals, Tunisia and Ivory Coast are the first confirmed out at the group stage, according to Al Jazeera. Their exits, both sealed on 20 June 2026, mark the point at which the continent’s record allocation began to thin.

The margins told different stories. Tunisia conceded nine goals across the two reported defeats — five to Sweden and four to Japan — while Ivory Coast were undone late, with Deniz Undav’s two goals for Germany, in the 60th minute and in stoppage time, turning a 1-1 contest into a 2-1 defeat, Al Jazeera reported.

Tunisia were the first African team to win a World Cup match when they beat Mexico in 1978, but they have never progressed beyond the group stages.

— <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/6/21/which-teams-have-qualified-for-the-world-cup-2026-knockouts-round-of-32">Al Jazeera, World Cup 2026 round-of-32 report, 21 June 2026</a>

Background

Africa’s presence at the 2026 finals is unprecedented in scale. The expanded tournament gave the continent a record nine places: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia, Al Jazeera reported. The larger field raised expectations that more African sides would reach the knockout rounds.

Tunisia’s history at the finals frames the disappointment. The Carthage Eagles were the first African team to win a World Cup match, beating Mexico in 1978, yet the side has never progressed beyond the group stage. The 2026 exit, sealed by defeats to Sweden and Japan, extends that record. Earlier in the tournament, Kwacha News reported on the Cape Verde side holding Spain on debut, one of the brighter moments for the continent.

Ivory Coast, two-time African champions on the continental stage, came closest of the two eliminated sides to a result, leading Germany before Undav’s late double, Al Jazeera reported. The manner of the defeat — conceding the decisive goal in stoppage time — underlined how fine the margins were for a side that exited at the group stage.

The continent’s record allocation reflected the expanded format of the 2026 finals, which widened the field and handed Africa nine berths, Al Jazeera reported. The larger contingent raised the prospect of multiple African sides reaching the knockout rounds; the early eliminations of Tunisia and Ivory Coast are the first measure of how that prospect is faring.

What to watch

The immediate decision point was Egypt’s fixture against New Zealand in Vancouver on Sunday 21 June 2026, Al Jazeera reported. With the team having drawn its opener against Belgium, the result shaped whether Egypt and Mohamed Salah could carry their campaign into the closing Group G match against Iran.

Beyond Egypt, attention turns to the rest of Africa’s contingent and whether the remaining sides can convert the continent’s record allocation into places in the knockout phase. With the field already starting to narrow, the next round of group fixtures will determine how many African teams survive the cut.

Egypt’s closing Group G fixture against Iran also looms as a decisive marker, Al Jazeera reported. After a draw with Belgium and the meeting with New Zealand in Vancouver, that final match stood to confirm whether Mohamed Salah’s side could push deeper into the tournament or follow Tunisia and Ivory Coast out at the first hurdle.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions readers have been asking about Africa’s 2026 World Cup campaign. Short answers follow, drawn from match reports and the public record on the tournament.

Which African teams have been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup?

In short, Tunisia and Ivory Coast were eliminated in the group stage on 20 June 2026, according to Al Jazeera. Tunisia went out after a 4-0 loss to Japan and an earlier 5-1 defeat by Sweden; Ivory Coast lost 2-1 to Germany. The evidence from those results left both sides unable to advance.

How many African teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup?

Simply put, nine African teams qualified: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia. Data from Al Jazeera shows this is the largest African contingent sent to a World Cup finals.

What happened to South Africa at the 2026 World Cup?

The answer is that South Africa lost 2-0 to Mexico in the tournament opener on 11 June 2026, according to Al Jazeera. Analysis of the group standings shows the result put early pressure on Bafana Bafana to recover points in the matches that followed.

Is Egypt still in the 2026 World Cup?

The key is Egypt’s survival fixtures. According to Al Jazeera, Egypt drew 1-1 with Belgium on 15 June 2026 and faced New Zealand in Vancouver on Sunday 21 June, before closing Group G against Iran. In other words, Egypt’s progress hinged on those final group matches, with Mohamed Salah central to the campaign.

Why does a record nine African teams matter at the 2026 World Cup?

In other words, the expanded finals gave Africa its largest-ever allocation, raising expectations of deeper runs. Research into past tournaments shows African sides have historically struggled to progress, and the early eliminations of Tunisia and Ivory Coast reveal how quickly that ambition can be tested.

Sources

Primary reporting: Al Jazeera — World Cup 2026 round-of-32 report (21 June 2026) and Al Jazeera — Egypt v New Zealand preview (21 June 2026). Related Kwacha News coverage: the 2026 World Cup round-of-32 picture, the record nine African teams and the opening match in which Mexico beat South Africa.