Troost-Ekong: Senegal and Morocco Can Shock the World

Nigeria may be absent from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has not switched off from the tournament. The veteran defender, who captained Nigeria at two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and led the Super Eagles through some of the most significant matches of the last decade, has identified Senegal and Morocco as the African nations most capable of causing genuine damage in North America this summer.

“Senegal and Morocco have what it takes to go very far,” Troost-Ekong said, adding that both sides have consistently demonstrated the quality and depth to compete with the world’s best. “They are among the best teams in Africa right now. They showed their quality throughout the AFCON.” The assessment comes from someone who faced both sides during his international career and understands what separates elite African teams from the rest. Fans following the tournament and looking to back Morocco and Senegal in their group stage matches can check the Bet9ja promo code for the latest World Cup odds.

Why Morocco

The case for Morocco barely needs making at this point. Walid Regragui’s side reached the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar the first African or Arab nation to achieve that feat and have since built on that momentum rather than resting on it. The Atlas Lions won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, ending a 49 year wait for continental glory and doing so in front of their own fans at the Grand Stade de Casablanca. They arrive at the 2026 World Cup as AFCON champions and as one of the co-hosts, with their matches to be played in Spanish and Portuguese venues given the three-nation hosting arrangement.

The squad Regragui has assembled is technically deep and tactically sophisticated. Achraf Hakimi remains one of the finest right backs in world football at Paris Saint-Germain. Hakim Ziyech, now at a club level that finally suits his temperament, continues to be a creative threat in wide areas. Youssef En-Nesyri leads the line with the experience of a centre forward who has scored at the highest level in European club football. The Atlas Lions’ defensive record in major tournaments is among the best of any African side in history, and their ability to absorb pressure and hit on the counter is a tactical template that can dismantle almost any opponent when executed well. Fans wanting to back Morocco to advance from Group B can use the Bet9ja YOHAIG welcome offer for enhanced odds on their opening fixtures.

Why Senegal

Senegal’s claim is equally compelling. The Lions of Teranga are the reigning African champions from 2022, when they won the AFCON in Cameroon under Aliou Cissé, and have retained much of the quality that made them one of the continent’s most feared sides over the past six years. Sadio Mane remains the emotional and technical heart of the team, and despite being in the latter stages of his career, his influence on Senegalese football extends well beyond what he contributes on the pitch in any given 90 minutes. The squad around him Ismaila Sarr, Pape Gueye, Cheikhou Kouyate, and the improving generation of younger players coming through gives Cissé real options across the pitch.

Senegal also carry the memory of the 2002 World Cup with them into every major tournament, when they reached the quarter finals and beat defending champions France in the group stage. That history of punching above their weight at the global tournament is embedded in the culture of the team, and it gives them a psychological edge that is difficult to quantify but very real in a knockout environment. Their group at 2026 puts them alongside France, Norway, and Iraq, and while reaching the knockout stage is not guaranteed, Cissé’s side have the quality to navigate that draw and arrive in the last 32 with momentum. Nigerian supporters following all African nations’ progress at the 2026 World Cup can register with the Bet9ja platform to access live betting on every group stage match.

The Bigger Picture

Troost-Ekong’s endorsement of both sides reflects a wider recognition within African football that the continent’s standard has risen significantly over the past decade. The 2026 World Cup features ten African nations the largest representation in the tournament’s history, a product of the expanded 48 team format and while Nigeria are not among them, the absence of the Super Eagles has not diminished the quality of African football’s presence at the tournament. Ghana, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Egypt, Senegal, Morocco, Cameroon, Mali, DR Congo, and Cape Verde all carry different ambitions and different levels of expectation into the competition.

For Troost-Ekong, watching from the outside after Nigeria’s painful penalty exit to DR Congo in November 2025, the 2026 World Cup is both a painful reminder of what the Super Eagles are missing and a genuine opportunity to see African football’s best representatives test themselves against the world’s elite. His backing of Senegal and Morocco is not a consolation prize. It is the considered opinion of a man who has shared pitches with players from both squads and knows exactly what they are capable of. Whether either side can match Morocco’s 2022 run or go even further will be one of the defining storylines of the tournament.