In a recent interview published yesterday, Ousmane Sonko, leader of Pastef/Les Patriotes and President of the National Assembly, shared his insights on Africa’s participation in the 2026 World Cup.

While acknowledging the rise in the number of African teams competing, he emphasized that this expansion was not a special concession to the continent but a natural outcome of FIFA’s decision to enlarge the tournament itself.

Addressing the various discussions surrounding this World Cup edition, Ousmane Sonko chose not to delve into them extensively, yet he suggested that football’s global governing body had exhibited a degree of leniency in certain areas.

Key takeaways from the World Cup

For the Pastef leader, the most critical lesson emerging from this World Cup pertains to the ongoing challenges in African football regarding management, team administration, and disciplinary issues. These shortcomings, he believes, directly contributed to the disappointing outcomes for several teams, including Senegal, which possessed the talent to advance further in the competition.

“What this World Cup primarily underscored for us are our persistent weaknesses,” he stated, urging a profound period of self-reflection.

When questioned about the caliber of teams still active in the tournament, Ousmane Sonko proposed that some of them were not necessarily superior to the African squads that had been eliminated.

Nevertheless, he made sure to highlight the essence of sportsmanship, acknowledging that the victorious teams had rightfully earned their qualifications and successes.