The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has applauded the performances of African countries at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, praising their resilience and expressing optimism that more teams from the continent will continue to excel in the competition.

Okonjo-Iweala gave the commendation in a post shared on her verified X account on Sunday, where she celebrated the achievements of the continent’s representatives and highlighted the progress made by Morocco and Egypt.

According to the former Nigerian Minister of Finance, both Morocco and Egypt have successfully advanced to the next stage of the tournament, while Cape Verde emerged as one of Africa’s biggest surprises.

“So proud of the performance of the African teams at the World Cup! Morocco and Egypt have made it through so far, but Cape Verde was a standout,” she wrote.

She also acknowledged the efforts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, noting that although the teams failed to progress, they displayed determination and fought courageously throughout the tournament.

“DRC, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana also battled. Thanks to all for making us proud. Keeping fingers crossed on further progress!” she added.

Okonjo-Iweala further expressed hope that Nigeria would secure qualification for the next edition of the FIFA World Cup, describing the prospect of the Super Eagles returning to football’s biggest stage as an exciting one.

“Would be exciting if Nigeria makes it through to the next World Cup,” she stated.

Her remarks come amid growing praise for the performances of African teams at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, with several sides producing impressive displays against some of the world’s leading football nations.

The tournament has seen African representatives record notable results, reinforcing the continent’s growing competitiveness on the global stage and raising hopes of a historic run by one of its teams.