Khaberni - The Cape Verde team achieved a historic milestone by qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, for the first time in history, after a 3-0 win against Eswatini in the final round of the African qualifiers.
The hosts failed to break through Eswatini's defense in the first half, but a breakthrough occurred in the second half with three goals starting from the 48th minute by Dailon Livramento.
Six minutes later, Willy Semedo extended the lead with the second goal, before defender Yannick dos Santos 'Tubera' sealed the deal with the third goal in stoppage time.
With this historic victory, the Cape Verde team "Blue Sharks" secured their place among the world's elites for the first time in its history, after confirming their lead in Group Four with 23 points, four points ahead of runner-up Cameroon, which had a goalless draw against Angola and will be moving on to the playoffs.
Cape Verde joins the quartet of teams qualified from the African continent: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria, becoming the 19th squad, along with the organizing trio.
What do you know about Cape Verde?
The Republic of Cape Verde, or the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country in Africa, consisting of an archipelago made up of ten volcanic islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, to the west of the coasts of North Africa.
The Cape Verde Islands are located about 570 kilometers (340 miles) off the coast of Senegal in the Atlantic Ocean, and consist of two parts: mountainous rugged islands and plain flat ones. The climate of the islands is temperate throughout the year due to its maritime location, with major islands like Santiago, which is the largest island and contains Praia, the capital. Other major islands include Sancent, Santo Antao, Fogo, and Niculo, Mayo, and Santalucia.
These islands were discovered by the Portuguese in 1460 AD, and their prime location in the Atlantic led to their occupation by Portugal and their independence in 1975 AD.
The total land area is about 4,033 square kilometers (1,557 square miles). It lies within 600 to 850 kilometers (320 to 460 nautical miles) west of the Cape Verde Peninsula at the farthest point in western mainland Africa. The Cape Verde Islands are part of the Macaronesian ecological region, along with the Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira, and Savage Islands.
Capital: Praia
Population: 596,707
Language: Portuguese
