Tag: Cape Verde

Cape Verde have made history by qualifying for their first-ever FIFA World Cup after defeating Eswatini 3-0 at home, becoming the second-smallest nation ever to reach the global tournament. The emphatic victory secured the Blue Sharks’ top spot in their qualifying group, edging out African powerhouse Cameroon to book their place at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. After a tense first half in Praia, Dailon Livramento opened the scoring early in the second half, converting a loose ball inside the six-yard box. Moments later, Willy Semedo doubled the lead with a brilliant volley, before veteran defender Stopira sealed the historic win with a third goal in stoppage time. Jubilant scenes erupted at the 15,000-capacity National Stadium as fans celebrated the nation’s greatest football achievement. Cape Verde President Jose Maria Neves, who watched from the stands, joined in the celebrations as players and supporters reveled in the moment. Cape Verde, an island nation of just under 525,000 people off the coast of West Africa, gained independence from Portugal in 1975. Since then, the Blue Sharks have steadily risen in African football, reaching the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and 2023. They currently rank 70th in the world. Only Iceland, who played at the 2018 World Cup, have a smaller population among countries that have ever qualified for the tournament. The islanders had earlier missed a chance to qualify after a dramatic 3-3 draw against Libya, where a last-minute winner was controversially ruled out for offside. However, they made no mistake this time against winless Eswatini, becoming the sixth African team to secure their ticket to next year’s finals.