Former Nigerian forward Austin Jay-Jay Okocha believes that the expansion of World Cup slots will significantly benefit Africa and allow the continent to have a more significant impact on the global stage.
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the USA, Africa’s representation has increased from five to nine teams. This expansion comes as a result of FIFA’s decision to increase the number of participating countries to 48.
During the 45th CAF General Assembly in Ivory Coast, the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers took place. In these qualifiers, the nine groups of six teams will compete, with the winners of each group gaining automatic qualification to the World Cup.
Additionally, the four best runners-up will participate in a mini-playoff tournament, with the winner advancing to an intercontinental playoff for a chance to become the 10th African team to qualify for the competition.
Okocha expressed his excitement about the news, stating, “It’s a great news for our continent that we have potentially nine or ten nations representing us at the World Cup because it gives us the opportunity to compete. Now, Morocco has renewed our hope that it is possible for an African nation to win the World Cup,” he said.
As a Nigerian native, Okocha hopes that his country, Nigeria, can secure qualification to the World Cup after missing out in 2022 due to their defeat against Ghana in the playoffs.
