Tanzania won’t be at the World Cup – but will their recent opponents have any chance?
Tanzania did not make it out of the CAF Group E of World Cup 2026 qualification, finishing third below Morocco and Niger. Only Morocco qualified for this summer’s tournament. How will they do against the heavyweights of the world’s most popular sport, and what can Tanzania fans look out for without a team to cheer on?
Morocco
Morocco have a difficult first game, playing Brazil on Saturday, June 13. The live betting odds suggest Morocco are clear underdogs. Brazil are one of the favorites for the whole tournament. Morocco then play Scotland on June 19 and Haiti on 24 June.
Most recently, Morocco beat Paraguay 2-1 in a friendly after drawing 1-1 with Ecuador a few days earlier.
They suffered heartbreak at the African Cup of Nations in January, losing 1-0 to Senegal, before the title was retrospectively awarded to Morocco due to Senegal players leaving the pitch in protest of a refereeing decision. According to the Gal Sport Betting odds, Senegal are also underdogs in their first World Cup group game, with France clear favourites at around 1.38.
Nigeria
Tanzania played Nigeria in their opening match of the AFCON, but the Super Eagles also failed to qualify for the World Cup. Nigeria were beaten in the playoffs by DR Congo on penalties after the game finished 1-1. Some of the biggest talents in European football, including Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, will not make it to North America this summer.
Tanzania’s latest matches
In the March international break from club football, Tanzania lost 1-0 to Liechtenstein at home, before beating Macao 6-0 away. These were further reminders of the state of the national team: good enough to beat minnows, and good enough to compete with comparable sized nations, but currently unlikely to compete if they were to meet some of the world’s strongest teams.
Tanzania rarely concedes many goals and always puts up a good fight. In fact, other than in that defeat to Nigeria, it was March 2025 that Tanzania last conceded more than one goal. But the other end of the pitch is a problem: Tanzania rarely score more than one either. The game against Macao was the most obvious exception, and they did manage to put two past Madagascar last August, after doing the same against Burkina Faso earlier that month.
Miguel Ángel Gamondi had his contract extended in February and will lead his side to AFCON 2027, which Tanzania are automatically qualified for along with co-hosts Kenya and Uganda.
What can Tanzania fans look out for at the World Cup?
Tanzania fans – along with Gamondi – may be able to learn a few things from how other smaller nations approach the World Cup.
Traditionally, unfancied teams have done best when they have had a tight defence and prioritised set pieces. Greece were nobody’s favourite for the European Championships in 2004 but lifted the trophy. In the final, they beat Portugal, whose side included stars such as Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, who enjoyed (and in Ronaldo’s case, are still enjoying) some of the most decorated careers in club football. Greece managed their extraordinary win by prioritising teamwork, effort, and concentration. They became the first team to defeat both the European Championship hosts and defending champions in a single tournament.
Some sides will be making their first appearance at a World Cup. Uzbekistan are expected to be eliminated in the group stage, and the bookmakers consider it almost certain that Haiti won’t progress any further.
Curaçao is the smallest nation (both by size and population) to have qualified. They would surprise everyone if they qualified from a group of Germany, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador. Cape Verde also has a tough group with Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay.
If any of these teams can spring a surprise, Tanzania will be watching closely. There has arguably never been a true shock winner at a World Cup. Certainly the list of winners since 2002 is unsurprising: Brazil, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and Argentina. One might say France’s 1998 victory qualifies: they had never won a World Cup (although had won the European Championships in 1982). But the French football association had invested heavily into the sport over the previous two decades and in retrospect they had a quite stunning team that included Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Emmanuel Petit, Zinedine Zidane, and Youri Djorkaeff.
Most bookmakers believe that it is very unlikely there will be a first-time winner of the World Cup this year. That means one of the old favorites – Spain, Brazil, Argentina, France and company – or a side that has not won the tournament for decades (perhaps Uruguay or England) is more likely to lift the trophy.
Last word
Tanzania will have to watch from afar this summer, but they could learn from a few underdogs before the next AFCON. And even if there are no major surprises, Gamondi and his staff could take lessons from the world’s best. In club football, set pieces have been prioritised as much as ever in Europe this season, and it is likely that the World Cup will follow a similar theme. Free-kicks and corners could be Tanzania’s keys if they are to succeed as a host nation.
