African teams set to represent their countries at Esports Nations Cup 2026
Players from across Africa will compete for national pride in Riyadh as the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) brings the continent to the global esports stage.
Egypt.- The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has unveiled the Esports Nations Cup (ENC), a groundbreaking tournament where players from Africa and beyond will compete representing their nations instead of their clubs.
The announcement was made at the recent New Global Sport Conference, which confirmed that the ENC is set to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2026. It will be the first major national-team esports tournament designed to occur regularly, bringing national pride to the global stage.
The inaugural event will be co-developed with leading game publishers such as Electronic Arts (FIFA), Krafton (PUBG: Battlegrounds), Tencent (League of Legends) and Ubisoft (Assassin’s Creed), with titles from these publishers expected to feature in the tournament.
National teams from all major regions, including Africa, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Southeast Asia and Oceania will compete across team-based and solo-player formats. African teams expected to compete include Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Ghana, Tunisia, Uganda and Botswana.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of EWCF, said the “nation versus nation competition” is the ultimate expression of sport. “The ENC makes this a reality for esports, giving every fan a flag to rally behind and every player the pride of representing their country. It’s a stage to create heroes, inspire the next generation, and, together with our partners and stakeholders, build the national ecosystems that will accelerate the growth of esports worldwide.”
The tournament will employ a multi-tiered qualification model, integrating global rankings, regional qualifiers and wildcard entries to ensure inclusivity and competitiveness. All players will receive guaranteed prize money with equal placement rewards across games.
The ENC will debut in Riyadh before adopting a rotating host model, bringing national esports teams closer to fans and cultures worldwide. The biennial event provides structure for players, coaches and esports organisations while offering publishers and partners confidence to invest in national team programs.
For African teams, the tournament offers a platform to showcase talent, foster regional pride and solidify the continent’s growing presence in global esports.
