CAF president Patrice Motsepe reaffirms Africa’s ambition to win the World Cup

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has reiterated his ambition to see an African nation lift the FIFA World Cup.Motsepe made the remarks during CAFs strategy conference, where discussions focused on the future development of football across the continent and the governing bodys plans for the next stage of its growth.An African team must win the World Cup, Motsepe said during his address.The CAF president has consistently expressed his desire to see an African country break new ground at the World Cup, with the continent yet to produce a finalist since the tournament began.Africas best World Cup performance came from Morocco at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where the Atlas Lions made history by becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals.Before Moroccos historic run, Cameroon came closest in 1990 when the Indomitable Lions reached the quarter-finals in Italy. Senegal matched that achievement at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, defeating defending champions France in the group stage before eventually exiting in the quarter-finals against Turkey.Ghana also reached the quarter-finals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and came within a penalty kick of becoming the first African semi-finalist. The Black Stars were eliminated by Uruguay after Luis Surez famously handled the ball on the goal line in extra time before Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty.Other notable African performances include Nigerias appearances in the Round of 16 in 1994, 1998 and 2014, while Algeria reached the last 16 in 2014 after an impressive campaign in Brazil.Moroccos achievement in Qatar, however, represented a new milestone for African football. The North Africans defeated Belgium, Spain and Portugal on their way to the semi-finals before losing to eventual champions France.With Africa still waiting for its first World Cup final appearance, Motsepe believes the continent must now take the next step and compete for the ultimate prize.His comments reflect CAFs broader focus on improving the quality of African football, developing players and coaches, strengthening competitions and creating the structures needed for African nations to compete consistently with the worlds leading football powers.