Africa sets a record by sending nine teams to the knockout rounds of the FIFA World Cup, but the surge fades as several sides exit early. Ghana is the last African team to play in the Round of 32 on Friday night and loses 1-0 to Colombia, ending its campaign. With that result, only Morocco and Egypt remain as the continent’s representatives in the later stages.
Morocco advances to the next round and faces Canada in a Round of 16 match in Houston. Egypt also progresses after surviving a penalty shootout against Australia earlier on Friday, which places it on course for a quarterfinal spot. Egypt is scheduled next to play defending champion Argentina, with the matchup featuring Lionel Messi, on Tuesday in Atlanta.
Meanwhile, Argentina continues in the knockout phase after nearly being pushed to extra time against Cape Verde in an earlier match, ultimately winning 3-2. Across the reports, the common thread is Ghana’s defeat to Colombia and the continuation of Morocco and Egypt as the remaining African teams.
