“…Even if Cameroon are eliminated here, it is only a matter of time before an African country wins the World Cup.”
— Brian Moore, commentating during Cameroon vs England at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Naples.
Those words were spoken as Cameroon, the first African nation to reach the quarter-finals of theFIFA World Cup, narrowly lost 3–2 to England after extra time.
Thirty-six years later, Africa has still not progressed beyond that stage. Apart from Morocco’s historic fourth-place finish in 2022, the quarter-finals remain the furthest any African nation has gone at the FIFA World Cup. Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002), Ghana (2010), Morocco (2022), and Morocco again (2026) have all reached that point, but no African nation has broken through to a World Cup final.
Looking back at Brian Moore’s comment today, one cannot help but reflect on how far Africa remains from the future he anticipated. Significantly, those words came from an English commentator watching his own nation pushed to the brink by an African team. Cameroon had recovered from 1–0 down to lead 2–1 before England equalised and eventually prevailed in extra time. Moore’s observation reflected recognition, respect, appreciation, and acceptance of an undeniable reality that was unfolding before his eyes.
Yet, more than three decades later, Africa continues to celebrate reaching the last eight. Once again, that proved to be our ceiling.
Meanwhile, other nations have made remarkable progress through relentless dedication to the process. Norway is one such example. Their progress has not been built on wishes or moments of inspiration, but on a deliberate, long-term football project.
As Michelangelo famously said:
“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”
This article argues that Africa’s World Cup challenge is not one of talent, but of philosophy, identity, structure and long-term commitment. The following seven pillars are presented in no particular order because they are interconnected and equally important. If embraced with consistency, honesty and patience, Brian Moore’s prediction can still become Africa’s reality.
- Identity: Africa Must Know Itself
“Nobody can teach me who I am. You can describe parts of me, but who I am—and what I need—is something I have to find out myself.”
— Chinua Achebe
What truly separated the Cameroon team from the rest in 1990 was its identity. They played football the way they felt it. They made no attempt to imitate anyone else at that World Cup. Brian Moore’s statement—“an African country”—was as much about geography as it was about identity. Cameroon brought something new to the world’s biggest stage. Something unexpected. Something unmistakably African. They revealed their culture in what I call the Battle of the Cultures.
Every nation that competes at the highest level expresses football differently. Each carries its own philosophy, personality and interpretation of the game. Japan is one of the clearest modern examples of the rewards of building and protecting a football identity.
Thirty years ago, few would have expected Japan to top a FIFA World Cup group. Yet in 2022 they finished above two European giants—Spain and Germany. In 2026 they again progressed from their group, this time unbeaten. From where they started, that represents enormous progress. Today, everyone knows how Japan plays. Their identity is unmistakable. Their results speak for themselves. Win or lose, Japan never abandons its football identity.
The same cannot be said of Africa.
Every African team, without exception, resorted to defensive football in at least one match during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That cannot be our identity. If it is, then this article serves no purpose.
There is nothing inherently African about withdrawing into what has become known as the “low block”. It is not African to stand back while others dance and occupy the stage—especially when you have come to play football.
Many African teams adopted that approach simply to get over the line. Nine African nations qualified for the Round of 32, yet only two progressed beyond it. That should send a powerful message. Numbers, on their own, mean very little. FIFA expanded Africa’s representation from five to nine teams, but greater participation did not translate into greater success.
African nations must identify their own strengths and build upon them. A clear football identity should reflect our natural abilities, allowing our players to express themselves fully while maintaining an attacking mentality throughout the game. When you fight with borrowed tools, you risk being abandoned when you need them most.
Today, there is not a single African nation whose national teams—from Under-17 to senior level, including women’s football—play with one recognisable football identity comparable to what we see in countries such as Japan or Spain.
Ironically, this edition of the FIFA World Cup suited African football more than any before it.
This was, in many ways, the World Cup of Goals. From the opening match to the latter stages, the tournament averaged approximately three goals per game. It rewarded teams willing to attack relentlessly and continue searching for goals. If any continent should have benefited from that environment, it should have been Africa.
Instead, we moved away from our greatest strengths.
There is no war that any nation will win using the weapons and strategies of its rivals.
The Battle of Isandlwana in 1879 remains one of history’s greatest examples. The Zulu warriors defeated the British Army by trusting their own weapons, their own organisation and their own strategy—the famous “horns of the buffalo” formation. They succeeded because they fought as themselves, not as an imitation of their opponent.
Football is no different.
Brazil offers another important lesson. Its current struggles are rooted not simply in results, but in identity. The appointment of a foreign coach for the first time in its history did not create the problem. It merely exposed one that had been developing for years. Brazil gradually drifted away from the rhythm, flair and freedom that once defined its football. The coaching appointment became a symptom, not the cause, of a much deeper identity crisis.
Africa must not make the same mistake.
Every successful football nation understands itself before attempting to conquer the world. Identity is not a slogan. It is the foundation upon which coaching, youth development, league football and national team success are built.
As the saying goes:
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of wisdom.”
Africa’s journey to becoming a FIFA World Cup champion will not begin with copying the world’s best.
It will begin when Africa fully discovers—and unapologetically embraces—its own football identity.
Part 2 to follow…
By Ziphozonke Dlangalala, Football Coach and Youth Football Specialist
