United States-based former Nigeria international, Paul Okoku, has identified some of the problems leading to the recurring pattern of late collapses, poor game management, costly lapses in concentration and missed defining moments, which has become one of the most frustrating narratives of African teams in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In the Round of 32, South Africa pushed Canada to the very end, but lost out. The Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire gave Norway a difficult match, but lost out. DR Congo put England under real pressure, but lost out. The most painful one was Senegal, who led Belgium 2–0 only ended up losing.

Okoku told The Guardian on Friday that: “These were not four different stories, but one story told in four different ways.”

According to him, the consistency of these failures suggests that lessons from previous generations have not been adequately learned.

Some years ago at Mexico ‘86, Morocco made history by becoming the first African nation to top a World Cup group. The Atlas Lions stood on the brink of another historic achievement in their Round of 16 clash with West Germany. For 88 minutes, they frustrated the Europeans, but in the closing minutes, the Atlas Lions lost and Africa’s dream was shattered.

At Italia ‘90, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroun humbled defending champions Argentina and reached the quarter-finals. Against England, they led 2-1 and looked set for an unprecedented African semi-final appearance, but lost of concentration in the 83rd minute gave England penalty before scoring again in extra time to secure a 3-2 victory.

At USA ‘94, the Super Eagles were just 90 seconds away from eliminating Italy and reaching the quarterfinals. Italy were down to 10 men. A lapse in concentration allowed Roberto Baggio to equalise. The Italians gained momentum, Nigeria lost composure, and the rest is history, leaving behind one of the most devastating moments in African football history.

Senegal stunned defending champions France in their World Cup debut at Korea/Japan 2002. The Lions of Teranga reached the quarter-finals at the first attempt, but against Turkey,
Senegal run out of ideas at the decisive moment. The match drifted into extra time and they lost through a golden goal.

At South Africa 2010, Ghana stood one kick away from becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final. In the dying seconds of extra time against Uruguay, Luis Suárez deliberately handled a goal-bound effort on the line. The referee awarded a penalty. The entire continent held its breath. Score, and Africa would finally have its long-awaited semi-finalist.

But Asamoah Gyan’s penalty crashed against the crossbar. The match proceeded to a penalty shootout, and Uruguay advanced.

Okoku, a member of the 1983 Flying Eagles squad said: “To me, what has happened to Africa teams in this World Cup is both encouraging and challenging.

“First, the encouraging part. African football has made tremendous progress. The days when African teams simply came to participate are over. Today, our teams compete with confidence, tactical maturity, physical strength, technical ability, and belief. They have shown the world that African football belongs on the biggest stage.

“But there is another side to the story. The common denominator is game management.

“At this level, football is decided by very small margins. One missed chance. One defensive lapse. One misplaced pass. One substitution. One moment of lost concentration. One brilliant piece of individual quality. That is why I often say that football is not won when you are playing well; it is won when you manage difficult moments well.
Okoku adds: “Another principle I have always believed is ball possession is learned long before it is played.

“As Vice-Captain of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles in 1983, we were actually known for our possession football. Wherever we travelled in Africa, opponents and journalists often remarked that we played with a Brazilian rhythm and style. We took great pride in that identity. Then came the FIFA World Youth Championship. Our second match was against Brazil.

“For the first half, we tried to beat Brazil by playing the very style they had perfected over generations. They moved the ball quicker. They anticipated faster.n They understood every angle, every movement, every transition instinctively. By halftime, we were three goals down. That match taught me something I would only fully understand many years later.

“Possession football is not merely a tactic. It is an education, a culture, it is repetition, and it is decision-making under pressure.

“It is knowing when to play forward, when to recycle, when to slow the tempo, and when to invite pressure before escaping it. Those habits are not built during a few national team camps. They are developed over thousands of training sessions beginning in childhood. That is why many of the world’s leading football nations make possession football appear effortless. Their players have been speaking that football language since they were children.”

“For many African nations, the journey has been different. Our football identity was built on pace, athleticism, flair, direct attacking play, courage, and individual brilliance.

“Those qualities produced generations of outstanding footballers. Today, however, many African academies are rightly introducing structured possession football into their development programmes. That is genuine progress.

“Every football culture evolves. Sometimes our teams produce beautiful passages of possession, but moments later, we instinctively return to older habits—forcing difficult passes, holding onto the ball too long, or relying on individual brilliance instead of collective patience.

“That inconsistency is not evidence of a lack of talent. It is evidence of a football culture in transition. The encouraging news is that this transition is already taking place. Across Africa, more youth academies are teaching positional play, ball retention, scanning, and decision-making from an early age. As these young players mature, possession football will become less of a tactic and more of a second language. When that day comes, Africa will not simply compete physically with the world’s best, it will control matches with the same confidence, patience, and intelligence that characterise football’s most successful nations,” Okoku stated.