Two second-half goals in a space of six minutes, courtesy of Dailon Livramento in the 48th minute and Willy Semedo in the 54th minute, as well as a stoppage time strike from substitute Stopira, ensured the Island nation will participate in the global tournament slated for June 11th to July 19th, 2026.
The Blue Sharks went into the final qualifier, knowing that victory in front of the 15,000 fans would guarantee them one of the nine berths from Africa for the first World Cup to feature 48 teams.
Knowing what was at stake, Cape Verde, under coach Bubista, started the match pressing high, trying to create chances for an early goal, and they should have taken the lead with only five minutes played. Semedo, who plays for Cypriot First Division club Omonia, received a pass just inside the box, but he fired wide.
Five minutes later, Cape Verde won a corner, the first of the game, after some good runs from the right. However, the delivery from Jamiro Monteiro was not good enough as Eswatini defender Nkosingiphile Shongwe cleared the ball for a throw-in.
The game remained a tense affair heading into the 15th minute, with Eswatini locking down Cape Verde’s threatening balls to the area, and keeping at bay their marauding strikers led by Ryan Mendes.
In the 25th minute, a foul in the penalty area prompted Cape Verde players to complain loudly, calling for a penalty, but Tanzanian referee Ahmed Arajiga couldn’t hear any of the noise as he waved play on.
Eswatini’s first chance of the game arrived in the 30th minute when Mcolisi Manana received a superb cross from the right wing, but he hit the resultant ball over the bar. Cape Verde created another chance from their second corner of the game, but Semedo glanced his header, which was off target.
In the closing stages to end the first half, Livramento received a pass inside the box and fired a powerful shot into the top right corner, but Eswatini goalkeeper Khanyakwezwe Shabalala was up to the task, pulling a great save to punch the ball and reacting quickly to deny the advancing Semedo, who could have tapped it in from the rebound.
Cape Verde finally broke the deadlock
At the start of the second period, the Blue Sharks looked more rejuvenated, and they needed only two minutes to finally take a deserved lead.
A superb cross from Semedo found the unmarked Livramento, and he controlled the ball before unleashing a right-footed shot from the centre of the box past the stretching hands of Shabalala.
Three minutes after the goal, Eswatini made the first change of the game, Philani Mkhonto replacing Banele Ndzabandzaba.
Semedo doubled Cape Verde’s lead in the 54th minute. Cape Verde had a free kick, taken into the box, which Eswatini defenders cleared. However, Yannick Semedo received the rebound, controlled it, and crossed for Semedo, who rose in the six-yard box to head home. Semedo was booked for removing his shirt while celebrating the goal.
Cape Verde finished top of the pile with 23 points, accumulated from seven wins, two draws and one defeat, four more than second-placed Cameroon, who drew their final qualifier 0-0 against Angola at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium on Tuesday.
