BBC Africa Today

Africa's World Cup dream: controversy and opportunity

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Africa's football spirit meets the 2026 World Cup buzz, controversy, and opportunities. The tournament is a landmark moment for African football, coming four years after Morocco became the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final at the Qatar edition in 2022. But even before the games begin, the tournament has been shrouded in controversy after the US denied Somali referee Omar Artan entry into the country. Omar was one of six referees from Africa appointed by FIFA for this year's World Cup. We speak to former Ghana international player Jonathan Mensah and former Ugandan international women's footballer, Jean Manayega Sseninder to unpack the opportunity for the 10 African competitors in the tournament.

And, a remote Kenyan community embarks on a mission to empower young girls with vocational skills.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Godwin Asediba and Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Maxwell Onyango
Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba
Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla
11 Jun 11AM English United Kingdom News

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