The Blue Sharks, ranked among Africa’s rising football sides, earned victory in Saint-Pierre with goals from Portugal-based forward Jovane Cabral in the 22nd minute and UAE-based midfielder Diney Borges in the 71st. The win moved Cape Verde to 16 points at the top of Group D, one ahead of continental giants Cameroon, who boast a record eight World Cup qualifications.
The stakes are set to rise even higher next week as Cape Verde host Cameroon in Praia. A win would put the island nation within touching distance of an automatic qualification slot, needing just three points from their final two games in October — against Libya away and Eswatini at home — to secure the group.
Coach Bubista (Pedro Leitao Brito), a 55-year-old former international who has led the side since 2020, has been credited with steadily transforming the team. His leadership saw Cape Verde reach the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast earlier this year.
Elsewhere in Group D, Libya boosted their campaign with a surprise 1-0 win away to Angola courtesy of Ezoo el Mariamy’s 48th-minute strike.
Ghana Held in N’Djamena
In Group I, Ghana’s momentum was checked after conceding a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Chad. Jordan Ayew opened scoring in the 17th minute, converting a Mohammed Kudus cross, but Celestin Ecua’s 89th-minute solo effort denied the Black Stars a fifth consecutive victory.
The draw, however, keeps Ghana top of the group with 16 points, three clear of Madagascar. The islanders secured a 2-0 win over the Central African Republic in Casablanca through goals from Warren Caddy and Arnaud Randrianantenaina.
Chad’s point — their first of the qualifiers after six straight defeats — also marked a positive start for new coach Raoul Savoy, the Swiss tactician with past stints managing the Central African Republic.
Comebacks and Dominance Elsewhere
There was late drama in Group H where Equatorial Guinea overturned a 2-0 half-time deficit to beat Sao Tome e Principe 3-2 in Oujda, Morocco. Ronaldo Afonso scored twice from the spot for Sao Tome, but Equatorial Guinea struck three times in 17 minutes, with Jose Nabil netting the decisive goal in the 70th minute.
Tunisia maintained their strong run with a 3-0 home victory over Liberia, while Algeria powered past Botswana 3-1 in Group G.
Meanwhile, 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco could secure their place at the 2026 tournament as early as Friday if they beat Niger in Rabat and Tanzania fail to defeat Congo in Brazzaville.
Qualification Stakes
Only the nine group winners will qualify directly for the expanded 48-team World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The four best runners-up will enter a playoff round for another chance at qualification.
Selected Matchday 7 Results:
- Group D: Mauritius 0–2 Cape Verde; Cameroon 3–0 Eswatini; Angola 0–1 Libya
- Group I: Chad 1–1 Ghana; Madagascar 2–0 Central African Republic; Mali 3–0 Comoros
- Group G: Algeria 3–1 Botswana
- Group H: Sao Tome e Principe 2–3 Equatorial Guinea; Tunisia 3–0 Liberia