Africa's FIFA World Cup, though historic, was characterised by 'what ifs'

African football left fans of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with conflicting emotions, as record fell and the continent's footballers shone... but only to a point.

On paper, it was comfortably the continent's strongest collective World Cup showing. Nine of the 10 qualifiers reached the knockout stages; South Africa, Egypt and Ivory Coast finally broke their long-standing knockout barrier; Cape Verde won the neutrals' hearts in their tournament debut; Ghana exceeded predictions; Senegal became the first African team to score five in a World Cup game; while Morocco became the first to reach consecutive quarterfinals.

Yet, as the dust settles, there's an unavoidable feeling that this tournament will be remembered from a continental point of view as the World Cup of 'what ifs'.

Africa's teams didn't truly fail -- well, apart from Tunisia -- but given the enthusiasm and excited that accompanied nine of the 10 qualifiers reaching the Last 32, to have only two reaching the Last 16, and only one in the quarters, represented a disappointment.

However, while hopes of an African finalist -- let alone an African winner -- were dashed, many campaigns hinged on moments so tiny that the alternative outcome still feels within touching distance.

North Africa proved their dominance

Morocco know this difference between celebration and heartbreak as well as anyone. Again, having reached the semis in Qatar, they carried Africa's hopes, navigating another route to the Last Eight -- including an unforgettable penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands in Monterrey -- before eventually (again) falling to France.

Ultimately, they limped out, ineffective and outclassed in Boston, but they'll surely be left ruing pre-tournament injuries to Nayef Aguerd, Abde Ezzalzouli. Then, during the tournament, they lost Ismael Saibari, which denied them their two chief goal threats, their key central defender, and their most in-form player when they needed them most.

If even one of those three, particularly Saibari, had been restored to the starting XI for the France game, Les Bleus surely wouldn't have cruised into the semis as straightforwardly as they ultimately did.

"[Saibari]'s an important player for us, so it's not easy to replace him," goalkeeper Munir Mohand told ESPN. "We had a lot of players who had problems, like Chadi [Riad], Nayef, Ezzalzouli, but it's not an excuse. It's not an excuse."

Egypt perhaps suffered the cruellest twist of all. The Pharaohs - so long underperformers at the World Cup - had already written history by reaching the knockouts, with an unexpectedly adventurous approach centred around Mohamed Salah, surely in his last shot at the big time.

Against Argentina in the Last 16 they delivered one of the performances of the tournament, looking the better side against Lionel Scaloni's completely disjointed outfit.

But then the big refereeing decisions began, with Egypt having a goal ruled out after a VAR intervention -- a call that will be debated for years -- and Argentina, with the rub of the green in the moments that required intervention, recovering to edge the match 3-2.

Hossam Hassan and his team were incensed by the decisions and the result, claiming injustice, as the conversation moved away from one of Egypt's finest hours to technology, officiating and injustice.

Sometimes, football history hinges on inches. Sometimes, justice hinges on even finer lines.

Surprises and Cinderellas

Despite the heartbreak, Africa produced some remarkable stories with happier endings.

Cape Verde's debut World Cup also ended at the hands of Argentina, but only after extra time. The archipelago nation -- the third smallest ever to feature at the tournament - were not defeated in 90 minutes across matches against eventual winners Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Scaloni's eventual finalists.

The Sharks combined tactical maturity, defensive courage, bright attacking football when required, and the tournament's ultimate cult hero in Vozinha, to become everyone's favourite underdogs.

With some key members of the squad -- including their 40-year-old goalkeeper -- ageing, their challenge now will be to build on their performance this summer and to become a more consistent presence in major competitions.

South Africa finally cleared a psychological hurdle that had haunted generations by reaching the knockout stages, an achievement that represents validation for years of patient -- if not always popular -- work by head coach Hugo Broos.

He restored pride to the national side, and transformed them from perennial underachievers into one of Africa's most disciplined tournament sides.

Yet even they ought to be left wondering what might have been after being drawn against a fairly limited Canada side -- shorn of home advantage after failing to win their group -- in the Last 32.

They enjoyed superiority for much of that contest in Los Angeles, created chances to win the game, but failed to take them, and were dumped out when Stephen Eustáquio's thumping effort beat Ronwen Williams in the 91st minute.

"The amount of chances we created this tournament, and we only managed to score two goals," Captain Williams told journalists after the match.

"We need to be better, we need to be more clinical, because at this level, you're not going to get too many chances.

"The chances you do get, you need to punish [the opponent] and wrap up the game."

The Ivory Coast felt exactly the same after they were the protagonists in their Last 32 showdown with Norway in Dallas only to be dealt a sucker punch by Erling Haaland in the 86th minute.

They registered more shots than their opponents, and had appeared primed to see out the 90 minutes - as had been the case against Germany in the group stage - but they failed to translate their dominance to the scoreboard.

Haaland was never going to make that same mistake. Captain Franck Kessié acknowledged after the match that greater composure in front of goal would have sent the Elephants through.

"I wouldn't say much [was missing]," he said in the aftermath of the defeat. "Maybe just a little more quality in our attacking play or with the final ball. We were less clinical than Norway in the situations that led to goals.

"We lacked composure in the decisive moments, and at this level - especially in the knockouts - you pay immediately for these kinds of mistakes."

Tiniest margins... just ask Yoane Wissa, who spurned a chance to put the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-0 up against England in their knockout clash in Atlanta, only to watch on as Harry Kane struck twice in the last 15 minutes to eliminate the Leopards.

Again, the calibre of striker wasn't there; Wissa is not Kane. Ange-Yoan Bonny is not Haaland.

Nonetheless, the DRC can absolutely be proud of their performance upon their return to the World Cup for the first time in half a century, where their organisation, doggedness, and the flamboyance of their attack suggested that they can finally cease being considered the fallen giants of the African game.

Ghana's revival and Senegal's doom

Arguably, Ghana even surpassed expectations more profoundly than Congo; not just because they reached the knockouts, but because of how quickly a side who had previously looked ragged under Otto Addo became a disciplined, organised and resolute outfit under Carlos Queiroz.

They may have exited with a whimper against Colombia -- where an early injury to Marvin Senaya led directly to Los Cafeteros' winner -- but restored pride to Ghanaian football, and would likely have beaten England had the referee spotted an evident Ezri Konsa foul in the box in Foxborough.

Beyond hapless Tunisia -- with their two head coaches and 12 goals conceded -- only Senegal truly imploded, as they capitulated against Belgium despite leading 2-0 with four minutes of regular time to play.

It's prompted a firestorm of accusation and acrimony back home, with Africa Cup of Nations head coach Pape Thiaw losing his job only six months after guiding Senegal back to the pinnacle of African football in the most wretched episode in the country's footballing history.

Yet even for the Teranga Lions -- defeated in their opening two matches before roaring back into life with a 5-0 demolition of Iraq -- specific decisions led to significant consequences.

There was the freak injury sustained by defensive leader Kalidou Koulibaly while training with Al-Hilal in April, a problem compounded by Thiaw's decision to rush him back for the France game, then compounded further by the decision to stick with him against Norway and Haaland.

Édouard Mendy's injury -- sustained in the Norway defeat -- hardly helped, but nonetheless, against Belgium, they returned to form in style, to give themselves a commanding lead and -- one assumed -- passage to the Last 16.

Then came the tactical decisions that will define Thiaw's tenure; the removal of Habib Diarra surrendered midfield intensity, the substitution of the influential Pape Gueye ceded control entirely.

Belgium sensed the momentum shift, the comeback gathered pace, but even then, they required a 120th-minute VAR intervention to punish Lamine Camara for a supposed infraction in the box - refereeing consensus appeared to be split - to send Africa's champions packing.

Clearly, there were problems behind the scenes. Thiaw complained publicly about the handling of his contract, while federation officials confirmed to ESPN some chaotic and confusing logistics, but even so, on a different day, Senegal get the breaks and win their first knockout game since 2002.

Ultimately, a competition that had promised so much, ended in complete collapse, for both Senegal and the continent.

Maybe it's the lot of elite sportspeople; each story is different, but each will believe that if just one moment had gone differently, the story would have had a different ending.

There was tactical sophistication, they were physically competitive, they demonstrated emotional resilience, but the smallest of details became the difference between early exits and more history being written.

Small decisions, the tiniest of moments, massive consequences and, Africa will hope, lessons to be learned in time for 2030.