The clock was ticking down, hope fading in the Sousse night. But then, an unexpected moment of drama unfolded. São Tomé and Príncipe, a tiny island nation often overlooked in football, seized their chance. They secured their first victory in the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup this Monday, beating Malawi 1-0 in their final group match.
The match took place in Tunisia, a temporary home ground for São Tomé. With just two minutes left in regulation time, Ronaldo Lumungo became the hero. The forward, who plays for Paços de Ferreira in Portugal, calmly stepped up to convert a penalty kick. His single goal was all it took to ignite a massive celebration.
This wasn’t just any win. São Tomé and Príncipe had suffered nine straight defeats in their first nine qualification matches. This victory marked their first points in the campaign. More importantly, it ended a long drought. It was their first official win in over three and a half years, going back to March 24, 2022, when they defeated Mauritius in a qualifier for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The “Falcons and True Parrots,” as they are known, are among the four lowest-ranked African teams by FIFA. Despite their position, their Portuguese coach, Ricardo Monsanto, was visibly emotional. He was even sent off in the 88th minute, just before Lumungo’s penalty. The team celebrated this triumph with incredible passion, even though it meant finishing Group H in sixth and last place with three points.
Tunisia, on the other hand, had a dominant run. They won the group undefeated, with only one draw, securing direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup. They finished with an impressive 28 points, 13 more than both Namibia and Liberia. Namibia missed out on a play-off spot for second-place teams. Equatorial Guinea currently sits fourth with 11 points (having played one less game), while Malawi is fifth with 10 points. For São Tomé and Príncipe, though, the joy of this single, hard-fought victory was worth far more than their final group standing.