The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has praised the performances of African teams at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, commending their resilience and expressing optimism over their progress in the competition.
Okonjo-Iweala made the remarks in a post on her verified X account on Sunday, highlighting Morocco and Egypt for reaching the next stage while describing Cape Verde as the standout African team at the tournament.
She wrote: “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.”
The former Nigerian Finance Minister also acknowledged the efforts of DR Congo, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana despite their elimination from the competition.
She added: “DRC, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana also battled. Thanks to all for making us proud. Keeping fingers crossed on further progress!”
Okonjo-Iweala also expressed hope that Nigeria would qualify for the next FIFA World Cup, saying the return of the Super Eagles to football’s biggest tournament would be welcome.
She wrote: “Would be exciting if Nigeria makes it through to the next World Cup.”