Terrence Mwedzi
African football legend Didier Drogba once said: “Football is a game that unites people. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, the colour of your skin, or where you come from.”
I speak for the football experts on the DSE Football News Network and our considered view is that: the 2026 FIFA World Cup has proved that these words are not false and resonate with what we have witnessed in most football circles, and I have personally learnt that football is more than a sport – but a stage or platform that brings people together.
Football showed its real power as millions were glued to their televisions across the African continent enjoying the top-notch football matches. These are the moments – that are made for the DSE Football News.
Just like any other tournament, we had witnessed some few challenges like some fans denied entry into host countries because of visa issues, or security issues, transport and accomodation, ticket prices etc.
Others linked these setbacks to geopolitics or global conflicts, but we wouldn’t like to dive deeper into such issues, but nonetheless, through all this, football proved to be the ultimate winner.
In truth, the tournament has been fantastic, if not amazing. As the mouth-watering tournament comes to an end, we would like to unpack some of the things that we have noticed and learnt about these top-notch matches and how we think the football has evolved.
This tournament was/is the biggest ever in World Cup history; we had 48 teams instead of 32, with more than 100 matches in total.
Surely, the inclusion of more teams is a clear testament that something is evolving in our sport.
And the first tri-host nations – the USA, Mexico, and Canada – gave an ample opportunity for others to witness how the tournament is smooth and flowing.
It is every nation’s dream to host a World Cup football tournament.
We are quite certain that FIFA is working on that to ensure that everyone is accommodated and feels represented.
The other thing is that teams like Argentina, Spain, France, England, Morocco, proved that football means business. These teams showed tactical knowledge of the game and they had good players in every position from the start of the tournament.
On show was modern team work which was important to fuel the progress to teams like Argentina, their strong fighting spirit has been quite amazing and entertaining – not just about Lionel Messi, an individual, but the team’s chemistry.
It is not false that teams that play together, stay organised and keep believing usually get good results and there is no two ways about it.
This is something our African teams need to learn that better results can not fall from the sky. It’s a process. Its a chemistry. Its a fighting spirit.
Furthermore we were impressed by the South Africa’s performance at this tournament even through the team fell short in later stages of the tournament.
This is was not just Bafana Bafana success but Africa’s progress. Reaching the round of 32 is not an easy task.We have to applaud them for that. Over the years, Hugo Bross has built a team that was solid and difficult to break, very organised, and very determined with his local players.
In contrast, we also liked how Morocco played. They were not just playing to win the trophy, but for the continent, which was quite refreshing. I was amazed by how they invest in their football.
Yes, this is a demonstration that any African team can cause trouble at a World Cup.
No team is guaranteed to winning matches at a global showpiece – and such was World Cup 2026.
Reaching the Round of 16 is proof that as a continent we are heading somewhere. The main objective is to put our continent on the map. Simply put, we are now competing, not just participating.
To conclude, as the World Cup tournament draws to an end, Argentina have the upper hand to lift the trophy and make history again, but in football anything can happen. But in the end, football is the winner. Let me end here.
Terrence Mwedzi is an international award – winning poet, writer, and football pundit. He is currently based in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. He writes for the Digital Sunday Express in his own capacity. He can be contacted on +27611370088
