3 games, 2 wins, 1 loss
Preferred formation: 4-4-2
Coming into the World Cup, Ivory Coast manager Emerse Fae clearly stated that his side’s objective would be to reach the quarterfinals. It is just two steps away from that objective, playing some incredible football to get out of Group E, as the second-best side behind behemoths Germany.
While Yan Diomande was always going to be in focus, Amad Diallo, Guela Doue and Christ Inao a deep-lying playmaker have all been stand-out performers for the side. Veteran Nicolas Pepe, who had a stellar season with Villareal too chipped in with a double against Curacao. Franck Kessie too has marshalled the midfield area with relative comfort, and has also involved himself in goal-scoring duties.
Fae has set his side up great defensively, with the African side allowing just two goals but has put a lot of emphasis on counter-attacks, through the wings using Diomande’s raw pace which was on display against Curacao where he attacked to set up Pepe. The African has had two impressive wins in the campaign thus far, and the only game it lost was against Germany, where a late winner ruined its good start.
If Ivory Coast can survive Norway’s attacking challenge on Tuesday, then the quarterfinal dream is more than on.
3 games, 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss
Preferred formation: 4-4-2
Like Ivory Coast, Canada under former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch too has been an attack-minded unit, which was on display during its 6-0 drubbing of Qatar in the group stage, where Jonathan David pounced upon the opportunities. However, what did hold them back was an injury-prone squad, with its star defender Alphonso Davies yet to make a start for Les Rouges.
The foundational philosophy of Marsch’s Canada has been, ‘We press in order to attack’, and it has only played that way thus far in the competition. With a great talent pool, and a lot of attacking potentials in the squad, Canada has used the width of the pitch well, bombarding the forwards with a lot of crosses into the box. It can even use someone as Promise David as the super sub, with the 24-year-old’s capability to score goals.
It will welcome back Moise Bombito, Davies back on the field, which can dynamically change the team composition. But the big worry, and the question remains: can this Canada team still look strong without Ismael Kone, who was the team’s midfield engine, and the player responsible behind its recent success?
3 games, 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss
Preferred formation: 4-3-3
South Africa has been a revelation at the ongoing World Cup, with the Bafana Bafana finally breaking their drought reaching the Round of 32 for the first time in its history. Back in 2023, at the AFCON, South Africa was one of the pre-tournament favourites, and it faltered at the final hurdle, finishing third. So, the capabilities on the pitch was never the question but there were question marks over whether they can cross that hurdle.
74-year-old Hugo Broos has certainly brought about a welcome change, as under his tutelage, the Bafana Bafana has won 36 out of 76 games, including a famous one against South Korea that took it beyond the group stage.
It is a well-organised defensive unit, with the ideology of playing different formations, including switching to a 4-2-3-1. But the side is well known for its counter-attack, with a lot of emphasis on the shoulders of midfielder Teboho Mokoena to do the ball progression for the side. Mokoena has scored once in the World Cup already, and has been one of the better players for the African nation. Organisation might have brought them this far but one small mistake, it can be dumped out of the competition so easily.
3 games, 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss
Preferred formation: 4-4-2
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in Europe with just 3.1 million people but on the footballing pitch, it has the ability to beat top footballing nations such as Italy and Wales. Its road to the World Cup seemed like impossible but such has been the combination of Sergej Barbarez (coach) and Edin Dzeko (captain), it has made it to the 2026 World Cup.
The interesting aspect about Barbarez is that he was a professional poker player during his heydays before being appointed as the country’s full-time manager. So, Bosnia and Herzegovina has a lot of Barbarez’s poker traits: the ability to not give away emotions, staying patient, and more.
On the footballing pitch, Barbarez likes his team to play a direct brand of football, with a lot of emphasis on aggressive defending, with the 33-year-old Sead Kolasinac leading a young defensive unit. However, up the field, the 40-year-old Dzeko, former Manchester City and AS Roma forward remains a key figure in the setup.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is also quite strong in transition, with a young midfield unit, including the talented 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic, who plays on the left-side of that midfield four. It is one of the best teams from set pieces, which means you can expect a lot of chaotic football.
3 games, 3 draws
Preferred formation: 4-1-2-3
Until two weeks ago, Cabo Verde was unheard of, and that small archipelagic country off the coast of West Africa has taken the footballing world by storm. In its first-ever World Cup encounter, the African nation blanked Spain in a 0-0 draw, sending shock waves across the competition.
In its second World Cup clash, the small African nation, with a population of just 5,30,000 pulled off a 2-2 draw against the inaugural World Cup hosts, Uruguay – a result that boosted its chances of qualifying to the next stage. And, on expected lines, the third clash against Saudi Arabia too was a defensive masterclass, which shows Cabo Verde’s USP – defence.
However, it has to be said that it is heavily reliant on the performance of one individual – the 40-year-old Vozinha – who now will face the biggest challenge of his life, Lionel Messi in the Round of 32. Another huge worry for the African nation is that it struggles to make chances, visibly during its first and final group game, where its xG (expected goals) was 0.20 (Spain) and 1.39 (Saudi Arabia). It really can’t beat Argentina without scoring, so Kevin Pina and Helio Varela will be crucial from that aspect.