Cape Verde’s national football team just missed a golden chance to make history. On Wednesday, they had the first of two opportunities to lock in a spot for a FIFA World Cup, something they’ve never done before. The team found themselves down 3-1 against Libya, but managed to fight back for a thrilling 3-3 draw. However, the game will be remembered more for two truly bizarre moments than for the final score.
Let’s talk about the play that gave Cape Verde their second goal. Lopes Cabral, a full-back for Estrela da Amadora, scored his very first official goal for the Cape Verdean national team that day. He can certainly send a thank you note to Libya’s Murad Al Wuheeshi for the unexpected assist. Wuheeshi had just come into the game in the 64th minute. Then, at the 72-minute mark, he tried to launch a long pass towards his team’s attack, hoping to find Dailon Livramento. The pass never actually reached a teammate. Instead, it sailed right towards the Libyan goal and their goalkeeper. In a moment that left everyone scratching their heads, the goalie tried to grab the ball, but it somehow slipped right between his legs and rolled into the net. Just like that, it was 3-2, giving Cape Verde a huge shot of confidence.
Driven by the dream of making history right then and there, the Cape Verdean squad pushed on. They managed to score again, leveling the game at 3-3. They even had a chance to snatch a victory, if not for an absolutely massive mistake from the refereeing team. Deep into stoppage time, at the 90+7 minute mark – literally the very last minute of the match – Cape Verde was on a breakaway. It was four attackers against just one defender. They coolly converted this into a goal. That would have made the score 3-4 and sealed their coveted historic qualification. But in a truly inexplicable decision, the goal was wrongly called off for an alleged offside, as clear television replays later showed.
The bizarre play that led to Cape Verde’s 2nd goal:
The inexplicable offside call against Cape Verde in the final minute of the game: