Super Eagles Legends Fuel 2026 World Cup Hopes with Bold African Predictions

Former Super Eagles midfielders Ogenyi Onazi and Ifeanyi Udeze have shared their optimistic outlook on the prospects of African nations at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup. Both players, drawing from their World Cup experiences, anticipate several African teams making significant runs in the tournament.

Ogenyi Onazi, a 33-year-old who represented Nigeria at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups and won the AFCON 2013 trophy, tipped Algeria, Morocco, Ghana, and DR Congo to advance past the group stages. Reflecting on his own World Cup journey, Onazi highlighted the 2014 Round of 16 clash against France as his best game, despite its bittersweet ending. He recounted dominating the French midfield duo of Paul Pogba and Blaise Matuidi, believing Nigeria could have progressed had he not suffered a severe tibia and fibula fracture following a tackle from Matuidi. His forced exit shifted the game's momentum, leading to France's victory. Onazi expressed confidence that the 48-team format of the 2026 World Cup offers more opportunities for African teams to reach the knockout stages. He acknowledged Algeria's tough group but believed they could still secure points. For Ghana, he admitted their group with England, Panama, and Croatia appeared difficult but was "doable." He also saw Egypt making the most of their group, potentially finishing second if they performed well against Belgium. Regarding DR Congo, he noted their "crazy" group with Portugal and Colombia, suggesting they could secure third place with a strong record.

Morocco, however, received particular praise from Onazi, who was "very impressed" with their confident and fearless performance against Brazil, even suggesting they could have won. This sentiment was echoed and amplified by Ifeanyi Udeze, who played for Nigeria in the 2002 World Cup. Udeze, too, was highly impressed by Morocco's 1-1 draw against Brazil in their Group C opener, where Mohamed Ouahbi's Atlas Lions narrowly missed a victory despite attempts from Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz, and Ismael Saibari being denied by Alisson Becker. Udeze went further, boldly tipping Morocco to win the entire 2026 FIFA World Cup, hailing them as the "Brazil of Africa" due to their solid, well-organized, and significantly improved team. While acknowledging the difficulty, Udeze expressed strong hopes for Morocco to reach at least the semi-finals, or even the final, of the Copa Mundial, underscoring their transformation into an African football powerhouse. Morocco is set to play Scotland and Haiti in their remaining Group C games, having already made a strong case for advancement. The overall consensus from these former Super Eagles stars is a positive outlook for African football on the global stage, especially with the expanded format offering increased chances for success.