The African teams had a strong group stage at the World Cup. Cape Verde played at a World Cup for the first time and went straight through to the playoffs. South Africa advanced for the first time. DR Congo won a World Cup match for the first time. Algeria came through after a 3:3 draw with Austria. Ghana also stayed in the tournament.
These teams went through in different ways. Cape Verde took a point off Spain. South Africa beat South Korea. DR Congo came back against Uzbekistan. Algeria survived a six-goal match.
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Cape Verde held Spain
Cape Verde started the tournament with a 0:0 against Spain. For a team at its first World Cup, it was a test of nerve. Spain pushed, but could not score.
Cape Verde did not try to act like a favourite. The team played cautiously, stayed patient without the ball and did not hand Spain an easy goal. In the end the draw with Spain was not a one-off celebration, but a first step towards the playoffs.
Cape Verde face Argentina
In the playoffs Cape Verde will play Argentina. The gap in status is huge, but this team can no longer be written off in advance. It has already denied Spain a win and come through the group at its first World Cup.
Argentina will be the favourite. But Cape Verde has already shown it can live in a match where the opponent is stronger on paper.
South Africa went through by beating Korea
South Africa beat South Korea 1:0 and reached the World Cup playoffs for the first time. It was a match where Korea needed to take their chances, but they did not score.
South Africa scored once and held on to the win. No grand slogans, no extra noise, just the result. For the team it is their best result at World Cups.
Odds on South Africa’s next match can be checked at Stake. After the win over Korea, this team can no longer be judged only by the status of the opponent.
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South Korea could not break South Africa
After conceding, Korea attacked a lot, but a real siege never came. South Africa did not get pinned to their goal with every clearance becoming a rescue. The team calmly saw out the closing stages and waited for the final whistle.
This match is what made South Africa’s qualification especially valuable. The team did not just score, it held the win in a game where the cost of a mistake was huge.
DR Congo won at a World Cup for the first time
DR Congo conceded first to Uzbekistan, but after the break scored three goals and won 3:1. For the team it is a first win at World Cups.
The match was sharp. Before the break Uzbekistan led and believed in a big result. After the break DR Congo quickly got back into the game, then finished the opponent off. A comeback like that before the playoffs is worth more than a calm win.
DR Congo will play England
DR Congo’s next opponent is England. The English will be favourites, but the African team has already gained what matters before a knockout match: confidence after a hard win.
Against England, one burst of emotion will not be enough for DR Congo. But after 3:1 with Uzbekistan, the team certainly will not step onto the pitch feeling that its tournament is already a success and it can just play out the game.
Algeria came through after 3:3 with Austria
Algeria and Austria drew 3:3. That match left Iran without a playoff place and sent both teams through. For Algeria it was a nervy road, but the result is there: the team stayed in the tournament.
Algeria concedes a lot, but answers with goals of its own. Its matches are hard to call calm, and that is exactly why they are interesting to follow.
After six goals in the game with Austria, the total in Algeria’s next match can be checked at Duel.
Ghana went through more quietly than the rest
Ghana also reached the playoffs, although there was less noise around them than around Cape Verde, South Africa or DR Congo. But at a World Cup what matters is not the volume, it is a place in the next round.
Ghana stayed in the tournament, and added to the overall picture: the African teams went through not on one lucky flash, but on several results at once.
Why this group stage matters for Africa
Cape Verde played at a World Cup for the first time and went straight through. South Africa reached the playoffs for the first time. DR Congo won a match at the tournament for the first time. Algeria and Ghana also stayed in the fight.
This is no longer a story about likeable underdogs. The African teams took what was theirs on the pitch: off Spain, off Korea, off Uzbekistan, off Austria. Now, in the playoffs, they will have to be taken seriously.
- Cape Verde reached the playoffs on its first World Cup
- South Africa went through for the first time
- DR Congo won a World Cup match for the first time
- Algeria came through a six-goal swing with Austria
- Ghana stayed in the tournament
