The dream of reaching the 2026 World Cup has ended for two African nations. Angola and Guinea-Bissau both saw their qualification hopes vanish this past Wednesday. Angola battled to a 2-2 draw with Eswatini, while Guinea-Bissau suffered a 1-0 defeat against Ethiopia. These results mean neither team can now make it to the biggest stage in football.
Angola’s journey ended with a heart-wrenching comeback that wasn’t quite enough. Playing in Lobamba, the first half against Eswatini was a tight affair, remaining scoreless. Then, after the break, the game exploded with action. Eswatini scored two quick goals in just six minutes, seemingly taking control. Justice Figuareido was the hero for the home side, netting both goals in the 48th and 54th minutes.
Facing a two-goal deficit, Angola refused to give up. Jonathan Buatu, who plays for Gil Vicente, pulled one back for the ‘Palancas Negras’ in the 69th minute. The momentum shifted, and substitute Ary Papel, known for his time with Sporting and Moreirense in Portugal, found the equalizer in the 80th minute. This spirited fightback earned Angola a point, but it wasn’t enough to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
Looking at Group D, Cape Verde leads with 20 points. Cameroon sits in second with 18 points. Libya, after a thrilling 3-3 draw with Cape Verde today, is third with 15 points. Angola now rests in fourth place with 11 points. Their final group match will be against Cameroon. Eswatini is set to play Cape Verde next.
Meanwhile, in Group A, Guinea-Bissau faced Ethiopia. Their match finished with a narrow 1-0 loss. Ramkel James scored the only goal for Ethiopia in the 27th minute, a strike that ultimately sealed Guinea-Bissau’s fate.
This defeat means the World Cup 2026 journey is over for the Guineans. They are currently fourth in Group A with 10 points. Ahead of them are Sierra Leone (third with 12 points), Burkina Faso (second with 15 points), and group leaders Egypt (20 points). All these top three teams still have their ninth-round matches to play.
The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup is scheduled to light up the global stage from June 11 to July 19, 2026.