Cape Verde have qualified for the World Cup for the first time in their history after a 3-0 victory over Eswatini on Monday secured top spot in Group D ahead of Cameroon.
– ADEVERTISEMENT –
The island nation, who began the day two points clear of Cameroon, completed their fairytale campaign with goals from Dailon Livramento, Willy Semedo, and veteran defender Stopira in Praia.
Livramento opened the scoring three minutes after half-time, pouncing on a loose ball inside the box. Semedo doubled the advantage six minutes later with another close-range finish.
Stopira, 37, came on late as a gesture of respect for his long service since 2008 and capped the night with a stoppage-time goal to seal the historic win.
The result saw Cape Verde finish with 23 points, four clear of Cameroon, who were held to a goalless draw by Angola in Yaounde.
– ADEVERTISEMENT –
The West African archipelago, home to around 600,000 people, erupted in celebration after the final whistle, having been given a national holiday to support the team.
Cape Verde are now the second smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup, following Iceland’s feat in 2018.
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Elsewhere, Tunisia finished their qualifying campaign unbeaten, defeating Namibia 3-0 to top Group H without conceding a single goal.