Morocco's run to the semi-finals at Qatar 2022 was the kind of moment that stopped traffic across the continent. Fans from Casablanca to Cape Town watched Walid Regragui's side dismantle one European giant after another, and for a few brilliant weeks, the dream of an African world champion felt genuinely close.
The question everyone is now asking is: how close, exactly? Africa has produced memorable World Cup moments for decades, from Cameroon's run to the quarter-finals in Italy 1990 to Senegal's charge in 2002. But a semi-final berth is still the ceiling, and lifting the trophy remains unfinished business for the continent.
The structural ingredients are shifting, though. African football is producing more players competing at the highest club level in Europe, coaching philosophies are evolving, and the expanded 48-team World Cup format from 2026 gives African nations more slots and more matches to build momentum in a tournament.
Morocco's 2022 campaign proved that an African side can beat the best in the world on the biggest stage. The margin between a semi-final and a final is not as wide as it once seemed. Whether the next step comes in 2026 or beyond, the continent is watching, and the expectation has permanently shifted.
Originally published by BBC Africa.