- A former Flying Eagles goalkeeper has sent a message to two African representatives at the 2026 World Cup
- The Atlas Lions of Morocco defeated Haiti 4-2, while South Africa beat South Korea 1-0 to reach the Round of 32
- The North African side are reaching their second consecutive knockout stage, South Africa are reaching the stage for the first time
Former Flying Eagles star Dele Abubakar has sent a message to Morocco and South Africa after both nations qualified for the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Atlas Lions and Bafana Bafana booked their places in the Round of 32 after winning their final group-stage matches to finish second in Groups C and A, respectively.
Morocco fought back twice to defeat Haiti 4-2, while South Africa edged South Korea 1-0 to seal a historic qualification.
Source: Getty Images
For Bafana Bafana, it is their first-ever appearance in the World Cup knockout stage after failing to progress beyond the group phase in their previous three tournaments, including when they hosted the competition in 2010.
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Morocco, meanwhile, have reached the knockout rounds for the second consecutive World Cup after becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Abubakar hails Morocco and South Africa
Former Flying Eagles goalkeeper, Dele Abubakar (MON) has praised the performances of both Morocco and South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, the former Jigawa Golden Star player said both teams have justified their participation in the Mundial and boosted the continent’s image.
Abubakar explained that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has helped the various teams to prepare adequately for the tournament. He said:
“I am impressed with the performances of Morocco and South Africa at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup. They have shown that their qualification was not by accident and not a fluke.
“The various teams played at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and it helped prepare them for the tournament. I strongly beleive that Morocco has what it takes to make it to the semifinal again.”
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Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, Hugo Broos’ side will now travel to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California, to meet Group B runners-up Canada in what will be a landmark occasion for South African football.
The result is a remarkable turnaround for a side widely written off after a 2-0 opening defeat to Group A winner Mexico.
Bafana Bafana steadied themselves with a draw against the Czech Republic before overcoming South Korea in what was effectively a must-win contest for both sides.
South Africa are competing in the World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010.
Morocco break Nigeria’s goal record
Legit.ng previously reported that the Atlas Lions became the highest-scoring African nation in FIFA World Cup history after taking their overall tally to 26 goals.
The four goals against Haiti moved Morocco clear of Nigeria’s previous record of 23 goals, while Cameroon remain third on the list with 22.
Source: Legit.ng