Cape Verde’s national football team made history this past Thursday, stepping onto the pitch in Mauritius and clinching a decisive 2-0 victory. This win, part of the seventh and second-to-last round of Group D qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, brought them incredibly close to qualifying for the tournament for the very first time. It’s a dream many fans have held for a long time.
Jovane Cabral, a winger from Estrela da Amadora, opened the scoring for Cape Verde in the 22nd minute. Later, Diney Borges doubled their lead in the 71st minute, sealing the crucial points. This result put the ‘Blue Sharks’ in a commanding position. They could even secure their spot later the same day, depending on how Cameroon fared in their match.
The Cape Verdean squad now leads their group with a strong 16 points. That’s four points ahead of Cameroon. Cameroon was set to face Eswatini, who currently sit at the bottom of the table. If Cameroon stumbled and lost that game, they wouldn’t be able to catch the ‘Blue Sharks’ in the standings.
So, Cape Verde is on the verge of making its debut at a World Cup finals. They will conclude this qualifying stage with a home match against Cameroon, scheduled for Monday. That game could be a true celebration for the island nation.
Elsewhere in Group D, Libya picked up a 1-0 win against Angola on Thursday. Libya now has 11 points, placing them in third. However, they are out of the running for qualification. Angola sits with seven points, Mauritius has five, and Eswatini trails with just two points.
Over in Group H, a different kind of drama unfolded. Sao Tome and Principe played at home against Equatorial Guinea. They were hoping to earn their first points and avoid a seventh consecutive loss. The game started brightly for them. Ronaldo Lumungo, from Paços de Ferreira, scored two penalty kicks, one in the 8th minute and another in the 42nd. This gave Sao Tome a surprising 2-0 lead at halftime.
However, the visitors staged a remarkable comeback in the second half. Ganet found the net in the 53rd minute, followed by Salvador in the 62nd. Nabil then completed the turnaround in the 70th minute, crushing Sao Tome’s hopes of a win.
For Group H leader Tunisia, a win against Liberia on Thursday could put them very close to securing their qualification. They would then need to keep an eye on second-placed Namibia, who are four points behind and play their game on Friday.
Sao Tome and Principe, meanwhile, will finish their qualifying campaign on Monday with an away match against Namibia. They have yet to earn any points in the group, having scored only four goals while conceding a significant 17.
