Cape Verde will host Eswatini on Monday with an opportunity to secure their first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance, following a dramatic 3-3 draw in Libya that kept their qualification hopes firmly in their own hands.
The Blue Sharks currently sit atop Group D with 20 points, maintaining a two-point cushion over Cameroon heading into the final matchday of African qualifiers. It’s a position that represents years of development for the island nation, and they’re now just 90 minutes away from rewriting their football history.
A victory at home will guarantee Cape Verde’s debut at the expanded 48-team tournament, regardless of what happens in Yaoundé where Cameroon hosts Angola. Even a draw would likely suffice, though the Blue Sharks won’t want to leave anything to chance after Wednesday’s rollercoaster in Tripoli.
That match in Libya proved far more dramatic than Cape Verde would have liked. An early own goal from Pico handed the hosts an unexpected lead before Telmo Arcanjo’s superb header restored parity. When Ezzeddin El Maremi curled home a spectacular free kick to make it 3-1, it looked like Cape Verde’s dreams might slip away.
But this team has shown resilience throughout the campaign. Lopes Cabral capitalised on a goalkeeping error to pull one back, and Willy Semedo scrambled home the equaliser eight minutes from time to rescue what could prove to be a precious point. The result kept Libya’s mathematical hopes alive at 15 points, but with Cape Verde facing bottom side Eswatini at home, the realistic scenario points toward celebration in Praia come Monday evening.
Cameroon kept their own qualification hopes alive with a 2-0 victory over Mauritius at the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex in Saint-Pierre. Nicolas Ngamaleu opened the scoring early in the second half when Carlos Baleba’s long pass forced a defensive error from Jordan Francois, and substitute Bryan Mbeumo sealed the result in stoppage time after his initial effort was parried.
The Indomitable Lions have done everything asked of them, but their fate now depends on Cape Verde stumbling. It’s an uncomfortable position for a nation with Cameroon’s World Cup pedigree, having qualified for eight previous tournaments. They’ll need to beat Angola convincingly while hoping Eswatini can produce one of the upsets of the qualifying campaign.
Elsewhere in Group D, Angola’s own qualification hopes ended after a 2-2 draw with Eswatini saw them finish their campaign. Justice Figuareido scored twice to put the hosts ahead before Jonathan Buatu and Ary Papel netted late headers to salvage a point for Angola, whose wait for a return to the World Cup stage continues.
In Group A, Guinea-Bissau’s campaign concluded with a 1-0 defeat to Ethiopia, who claimed their first win in the group. Ramkel Jemes Gang headed home the decisive goal midway through the first half, providing a rare bright moment in what has been a difficult qualifying campaign for the Ethiopians.
The final day promises high drama in Group D. Cape Verde plays at home in Praia, while Cameroon faces Angola in Yaoundé. Libya, still technically alive but needing a mathematical miracle, travels to Mauritius for the group’s remaining fixture.
For Cape Verde, the message is simple: win and history is theirs. After years of steady progress on the international stage, the Blue Sharks are 90 minutes from achieving what once seemed impossible for a nation with a population of just over half a million people.
The expanded World Cup format has opened doors for nations like Cape Verde, but reaching this position has been no accident. Their campaign has featured impressive victories and, crucially, the ability to grind out results when not at their best. Wednesday’s comeback in Libya exemplified that fighting spirit.
Cameroon, meanwhile, can only watch, hope, and do their part against Angola. The Indomitable Lions have been in this position before, and they know football can deliver unexpected twists. But with Cape Verde needing only a point against the group’s weakest team, it would take something extraordinary to deny them now.
Monday’s fixtures will determine whether Cape Verde completes one of African football’s most remarkable underdog stories, or whether Cameroon’s experience and pedigree earns them one final twist in this qualification tale.
