{"podcast":{"title":"First Touch '26 World Cup Podcast","slug":"kickback-26-7606085","podcast_index_feed_id":7606085,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/kickback-26/","website_url":"https://kickbacksoccer.com/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/18b0ac78-0fa4-4703-b61d-878064448fa7/firsttouch26-podtile-062326.png","author":"Kickback Soccer Media","episode_count":112,"summary":"First Touch is the home for World Cup 2026 storytelling and modern soccer coverage guiding fans from the road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and beyond. From premium podcasts and original series to smart analysis and cultural context, First Touch brings new, emerging, and diehard fans inclusive, American-driven perspectives on the stories shaping the global game, from now, through World Cup 2026, and into soccer’s future.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-23T10:18:22.450637+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kickback-26-7606085"},"episode":{"title":"First Touch 2030 World Cup Preview From Africa","slug":"first-touch-2030-world-cup-preview-from-africa","published_at":"2026-07-22T22:30:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kickback-26-7606085/first-touch-2030-world-cup-preview-from-africa","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kickback-26-7606085","url":"https://kickbacksoccer.com/","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/979a6f81-ba76-45bb-9e91-30f33fc914fd.mp3","summary":"The road to the 2030 World Cup starts in Africa. David Gass and Matt Doyle take stock of African soccer after the 2026 World Cup, discuss the continent's next chapter with the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on the horizon, and look at which nations are best positioned to challenge over the next four years. They discuss the rise of Cape Verde, Egypt, DR Congo and Ivory Coast, examine what's next for Senegal and Tunisia, spotlight Africa's next generation of talent, and debate whether Nigeria, Cameroon and other contenders can return to the top of African football before 2030. This episode kicks off First Touch's Road to the 2030 World Cup series, where we preview every confederation, the biggest storylines, and the teams to watch on the road to the next FIFA World Cup. 0:00 The state of African soccer 4:45 Cape Verde's breakout 6:57 Egypt & DR Congo on the rise 11:31 Senegal and Tunisia at a crossroads 14:49 Africa's next generation 17:04 Ivory Coast & Morocco shine 19:06 Africa's remaining contenders","meta_description":"The road to the 2030 World Cup starts in Africa. David Gass and Matt Doyle take stock of African soccer after the 2026 World Cup, discuss the continent's…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1428,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/kickback-26-7606085/episodes/first-touch-2030-world-cup-preview-from-africa/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kickback-26-7606085/first-touch-2030-world-cup-preview-from-africa.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}