Morocco made it to the last four at Qatar 2022, further than any African team had ever gone at a World Cup. They beat Spain and Portugal along the way, and for a few electric weeks, the question stopped feeling hypothetical: could an African side actually win this thing?
The short answer is: not yet, but the gap is closing. African teams have historically struggled to convert strong group stage performances into deep tournament runs, partly because of squad depth, fixture congestion in European club seasons, and the physical and logistical toll of qualifying campaigns on the continent. Morocco's run showed that those barriers are not insurmountable.
What the Atlas Lions proved is that tactical discipline and collective spirit can dismantle much bigger footballing budgets. Their defensive structure was one of the tightest in the tournament, and they did it against some of the best attacking sides in the world. That is a blueprint other African nations can study and build on.
The continent currently has five guaranteed spots at the World Cup, and that number is set to grow when the expanded 48-team format arrives in 2026. More games, more exposure, and more chances for African sides to build momentum deep into a tournament. The infrastructure is beginning to catch up with the ambition.
Whether it is a Moroccan squad pushing for a second deep run, or a Nigerian, Senegalese, or Egyptian generation peaking at the right moment, the first African World Cup winner feels less like a dream and more like a matter of timing. The real question is who gets there first.
Originally published by BBC Africa.