"Africa is close to winning the World Cup." These were the words of Arsène Wenger, FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, at the landmark CAF Strategy Conference held in Santa Maria, Sal Island, Cape Verde.
Gone are the days when African teams struggled to compete on the global stage. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, nine of the ten African teams advanced to the knockout stage, giving the continent the highest progression rate of any confederation.
However, despite this collective achievement, none reached the semi-finals, with only Morocco advancing to the quarter-finals. Teams such as Senegal and DR Congo suffered gut-wrenching eliminations against Belgium and England respectively, despite leading their ties for the majority of the match.
This performance, and the ambition to build on it ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, brought together representatives of all 54 CAF member associations, national team coaches, and football development experts for the Strategy Conference in Cape Verde, with a focus on strengthening the development and long-term sustainability of African football.
Reflecting on Africa's performance, Wenger acknowledged the progress made but stressed that more was still required.
"Africa has made a fantastic step forward. There is still another step to make. We want to see an African team win the World Cup, and the numbers show that it is feasible."
How Investment and Skills Development Can Make the Difference
Africa does not lack talent. That was the clearest message from the continent's teams at the recently concluded World Cup. African sides went toe to toe with the giants of Europe and South America, with debutants Cape Verde producing an impressive performance against both 2026 World Cup finalists Argentina and Spain.
But talent alone cannot guarantee success. African football needs sustainable structures, strategic investment, and the skills required to transform these talents into results.
Investing in performance technology
For example, most European national teams now rely on data to assess player performance, monitor workloads, support injury prevention, and inform tactical decisions, giving them the edge over their continental rivals. Performance technology can reveal how much a player has covered on the pitch, identify areas for improvement, and help coaching staff manage and develop players more effectively.
As CAF President Patrice Motsepe stressed during the Strategy Conference, African football must move beyond good intentions and into measurable results.
"There is a big gap between good plans, good intentions and what we do practically in terms of investments and results. We are judged by results."
This is where venture capital can help strengthen the development and long-term sustainability of African football. It can fund the start-ups and businesses developing solutions to these challenges, which in turn equip players, athletes, academies, and clubs with better tools to improve performance, development, and decision-making.
Supporting players beyond the data
Investment must also extend beyond technology. Skills development, mental health and player wellbeing matter, including how players perform under pressure and sustain their progress over time.
This was Wenger's closing message to the member associations at the conference. He reiterated how data should not become the only measure of football development. He said:
"The numbers don't lie, but football is not only numbers. It is also attitude, mental qualities, unity and your value system. Those are things you have to continue working on."
This is because footballers are more than their performances on the pitch. They are human beings who need the right environment, guidance, support and emotion to consistently perform at their best. A sustainable football ecosystem must therefore invest in both the commercial structures that support the game and skill development.
Building a sustainable sports economy
At Sports Open Group, our approach to building a sustainable sports economy is in alignment with this thought. Alongside investing in commercially viable businesses that contribute to the long-term growth of sport, our social responsibility extends to education, awareness, and initiatives that promote the health, safety, and wellbeing of athletes, their performance, and the management of the planet.
If Africa is to turn the dream of winning the World Cup into reality, investment must go beyond the player; it must include businesses and skills that can turn talent and recent results into sustainable structures capable of keeping African football competitive at the highest level.
This is what Sports Open Group is committed to achieving. We welcome partnerships with investors, founders, and businesses who share our vision for the future of African football.
Explore our sports investment approach, Sports Tech Africa and CSR programmes, or discuss a partnership with Sports Open Group.