Cape Verde has made history by securing its first-ever spot in the FIFA World Cup™, concluding their qualifying campaign with a dominant 3-0 victory over Eswatini in the final group stage match.
The win, coupled with a draw for their closest rivals, ensured the “Blue Sharks” topped Group D and earned one of Africa’s nine direct qualification slots for the 2026 tournament.
| Match Result | Goals | Key Takeaways |
| Cabo Verde 3–0 Eswatini | Livramento (48’), W. Semedo (55’), Stopira (90’) | Cape Verde qualifies for the 2026 World Cup. Veteran Stopira’s late goal sealed the historic win. |
| Cameroon 0–0 Angola | N/A | Cameroon was held to a draw, missing out on automatic qualification, and must now wait for the final standings of all runners-up to see if they secure a spot in the African playoff tournament in Morocco. |
| Mauritius 0–0 Libya | N/A | A goalless draw in a match with no qualification stakes. Libya finished 3rd in Group D, and Mauritius 5th. |
| Lesotho 1–0 Zimbabwe | Kalake (90’+3) | Lesotho secured a late victory in a Southern African derby, though both teams were eliminated from contention. |
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The Decisive Cape Verde Victory
Playing in front of their home crowd, the Blue Sharks overcame windy conditions in the first half before their offense ignited after the break:
- 48th Minute: Dailon Livramento broke the deadlock from close range.
- 55th Minute: Willy Semedo doubled the lead, pouncing on a rebound.
- 90th Minute: The historic moment was capped off by 37-year-old veteran Stopira, who came on as a substitute and scored the third goal in stoppage time, symbolizing the journey of the national team since his debut in 2008.
Cameroon’s Playoff Predicament
The goalless draw for the Indomitable Lions means they ceded the top spot in Group D to Cape Verde. While they created several opportunities, hitting the woodwork twice and forcing a save from Angola’s keeper Marques, Cameroon could not find the net. Their fate for a potential World Cup berth now rests entirely on the runners-up rankings from all nine CAF groups, which will determine the four teams that advance to the playoff mini-tournament in Morocco.
