Cape Verde made history on Monday by qualifying for their first-ever World Cup, defeating Eswatini 3-0 in Praia. The island nation, with a population of about 550,000, became Africa’s smallest country to reach the tournament.
The Blue Sharks topped Group D with 23 points, four ahead of Cameroon. After a goalless first half, Dailon Livramento and Willy Semedo scored within nine minutes of the restart, while Stopira sealed victory in stoppage time.
Cape Verde’s squad, composed largely of foreign-born players of Cape Verdean descent, includes talents based in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
Under coach Pedro “Bubista” Brito, the team bounced back from a slow start, including a 4-1 loss to Cameroon, to win five consecutive qualifiers. The triumph follows strong showings in the 2022 and 2024 AFCON tournaments, where Cape Verde reached the knockout stages.
In other 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Tunisia defeated Namibia 3-0 to secure a seventh World Cup appearance, while South Sudan held Togo to a 0-0 draw.
