Former Super Eagles defender Godwin Okpara believes the days when African football’s traditional heavyweights could rely on reputation alone are over, insisting the performances of the continent’s representatives at the recently concluded FIFA World Cup prove that African football has reached a new level.
Nigeria may have missed the World Cup, but Okpara says the tournament sent a clear message to every major football nation on the continent, the gap between Africa’s established giants and emerging teams is rapidly disappearing.
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Reflecting on the World Cup, the former Benfica defender said African teams demonstrated tactical maturity, technical quality and growing confidence against some of the world’s biggest football nations.
“What we saw at the World Cup is a glimpse of what African football is becoming. There has been massive improvement and it’s no longer the way it used to be when African teams were expected to lose to the bigger countries,” Okpara said.
The former international believes the results could easily have been even more impressive, arguing that several African teams were unfortunate not to progress further despite producing outstanding performances.
According to him, narrow defeats and missed opportunities should not overshadow the remarkable progress African football has made in recent years.
“Some of the African teams were unlucky. They played very well and showed they could compete with anyone. That tells you the continent is moving in the right direction,” he added.
Okpara’s comments come at a time when countries such as Morocco, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Zambia continue to invest heavily in football development, while several emerging nations have closed the gap through improved coaching, youth academies and greater exposure for their players in Europe’s top leagues.
For Nigeria, the warning is particularly significant as the Super Eagles continue rebuilding under head coach Eric Chelle, with the team targeting qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and a return to the FIFA World Cup after missing the 2022 edition.
The increasing competitiveness across the continent means every qualifying campaign has become more demanding, with so-called smaller nations now capable of defeating Africa’s traditional football powers.
Okpara believes that should serve as a wake-up call rather than a cause for concern.
“The standard has improved everywhere,” he insisted. “If Nigeria wants to remain among Africa’s elite, we must continue improving because every country now believes it can compete.”
His message is simple: African football is no longer chasing the world’s best, it is steadily proving it belongs among them.
