Thursday Jun 04, 2026. 14:54
With African sides aiming to shake up the top order at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, here’s a look at some of the best long-standing members from African nations set to feature at the global showpiece.
Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
As perhaps one of, if not, the most popular African players in the world right now, Salah could use the tournament to kick-start his career after hitting a flat spot with Liverpool last season. A shadow of his prolific self, the 33-year-old scored just 12 goals in 41 appearances for the Reds during the 2025/26 campaign before leaving the club altogether. However, Salah remains a talisman for Egypt while he scored 65 goals in 113 appearances for his nation. The high scoring attacker could look use the World Cup to propel his advancements for yet another major transfer.
Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)
Now 35, Mahrez has shown little signs of slowing down after noting eight goals and 15 assists for Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli last season. En-route to a third-place finish in the league, Mahrez recorded nine assists in the league as he pipped the top 10 list during the 25/26 campaign. Pitted alongside Argentina, Jordan and Austria in Group J, Mahrez will hope to guide his nation to the knockout phase for the second-time in their history after reaching the Round of 16 at the 2014 showpiece in Brazil.
Themba Zwane (South Africa)
After much deliberation and debates among fans on social media during the last couple of months, the 36-year-old eventually got the nod from Hugo Broos as the oldest member of Bafana Bafana’s 26-man squad at the World Cup. The silky midfielder has been a regular in South Africa’s squad for large parts of his career, mainly as the team’s primary creator. After signing a contract extension with Mamelodi Sundowns recently, Zwane will no doubt head into the showpiece in a happy frame of mind, having also played a crucial role in the club lifting the 2025 CAF Champions League trophy.
Munir El Kajoui (Morocco)
Largely used as Morocco’s back-up goalkeeper, the 37-year-old rose to prominence at the 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar. After stepping in for Yassine Bounou on short notice ahead of their second group stage match against a star-studded Belgium outfit, Munir showcased his worth by helping Morocco keep a clean sheet during a 2-0 win at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha. His performance went long in the way of Morocco’s plans as the Atlas Lions became the first African nation to advance to the semi-finals of the competition.