Nigeria legend Jay-Jay Okocha has expressed doubts about Africa’s chances of winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite growing optimism from CAF president Patrice Motsepe and Senegal icon El Hadji Diouf.

Former Nigeria captain Jay-Jay Okocha has cast doubt on Africa’s chances of winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite growing confidence across the continent following Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals in Qatar.

Many African football figures believe the expanded 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico could finally produce the continent’s first world champion. However, Okocha remains cautious about those expectations.

Former Senegal striker El Hadji Diouf is among the strongest believers in Africa’s chances. The ex-Liverpool forward insisted African nations now possess enough world-class talent to compete with the biggest footballing powers on the planet.

Diouf pointed to players such as Sadio Mané, Idrissa Gueye, and Edouard Mendy as examples of the quality within African football. He declared that Africa should travel to the 2026 World Cup aiming not just to compete, but to win the tournament outright.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe shares that same ambition. The South African football chief believes Morocco’s achievements in Qatar changed the mentality of African football by proving teams from the continent can challenge the world’s elite on the biggest stage.

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Motsepe said Africa’s biggest weakness in previous tournaments was a lack of self-belief. According to him, Morocco’s victories over Spain and Portugal demonstrated that African nations are capable of matching the best teams from Europe and South America.

Despite the optimism, Okocha warned that African teams face tougher competition than ever before. The Nigerian legend acknowledged the traditional strength of Europe and South America but also highlighted the rapid improvement of countries from North America and Asia.

Okocha, who represented Nigeria at multiple World Cups including the famous 1994 tournament in the United States, admitted he would be delighted if Africa proved him wrong. He stressed that African football has surprised the world before and could still do so again in 2026.

Among the African qualifiers, Morocco and Senegal are widely viewed as the continent’s strongest hopes. Morocco will face Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti in Group C, while Senegal have been drawn into a difficult group alongside France, Norway, and Iraq. 

Other African representatives at the tournament include Algeria, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, South Africa, and Tunisia, with many dreaming of making history on football’s biggest stage.