World Cup qualifying: Cape Verde reach finals for the first time

Cape Verde qualified for the World Cup for the first time, punching their ticket to the 2026 finals with a 3-0 win over Eswatini.

The Blue Sharks put themselves in the box seat to qualify from CAF Group D with a 1-0 home win over Cameroon last month.

Cape Verde fluffed their lines with the chance to qualify against Libya last Wednesday, drawing 3-3.

But they made no mistake against winless Eswatini. 

Dailon Livramento put Cape Verde ahead three minutes into the second half, before Willy Semedo volleyed in their second.

Stopira added a third in stoppage time to send the crowd at the national stadium into raptures, with Cape Verde becoming the second-smallest nation in history to qualify for the World Cup.

Cape Verde has a population of nearly 525,000. Iceland remains the smallest country to qualify for the World Cup, having done so for the first time in 2018.

Cameroon, who drew 0-0 with Angola, will enter the play-offs.

Namibia will also enter the play-offs as runners-up in Group H despite losing 3-0 to already qualified Tunisia.

Liberia failed to take advantage of Namibia’s defeat, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea, ending their hopes of qualifying for the first time.