‘Curse’ ends three African teams’ dream of a World Cup spot | OneFootball

The clock striking 41 minutes of the second half has become synonymous with terror at this 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In a coincidence—or a curse 😅—three African national teams saw their places in the round of 16 slip through their fingers at exactly the 86th minute of their matches.

So far, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Senegal have been the victims of this astonishing “curse” in the second round of the tournament being played in North America.

Ivory Coast 1 x 2 Norway

The Ivorians fought hard and managed to equalize in the 74th minute through Amad Diallo.

However, in the 86th minute, star striker Erling Haaland found the net, sending Norway through to the round of 16 to face Brazil.

DR Congo 1 x 2 England

With a heroic performance from goalkeeper Mpasi, the Congolese led from the seventh minute.

The dream collapsed when Harry Kane equalized in the 75th minute and, in the 86th, turned the game around with a thunderous shot into the top corner, surpassing Pelé to become the sixth-highest scorer in World Cup history.

Senegal 2 x 3 Belgium (Extra Time)

Senegal were cruising with a comfortable 2-0 lead. In the 86th minute, Romelu Lukaku scored and sparked the Belgian comeback.

Tielemans equalized soon after, in the 89th minute, and sealed the comeback in extra time from the penalty spot.

Exceptions

So far, only two African teams have escaped the 86th-minute script in the second round (though with different outcomes):

South Africa: They were eliminated by Canada, but the decisive goal scored by Stephen Eustaquio came a little later, in the 91st minute.

Morocco: The only African team to qualify so far. They beat the Netherlands on penalties (3-2) after equalizing in the 91st minute through Issa Diop.

This Friday (3), the continent has a chance to turn the tide and exorcise the ghost. Cape Verde, Egypt, Algeria, and Ghana take the field on the final day of the second round in search of a coveted place in the round of 16.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

📸 Alex Grimm - 2026 Getty Images