Cape Verde Makes Historic World Cup Qualification
On October 13, 2025, Cape Verde secured a spot in the World Cup for the first time, triumphing over Eswatini with a 3-0 victory in the African qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup. This monumental win allowed the island nation to top their group.
The volcanic archipelago, located off Africa’s western coast, will represent one of the smallest countries by population to participate in the tournament, following Iceland’s appearance in 2018. Cape Verde, with a population around 525,000, entered this crucial match needing a win, although they could have advanced with a loss if Cameroon had also failed to beat Angola.
Goals from Dailon Livramento in the 48th minute, Willy Semedo in the 54th minute, and Stopira in stoppage time clinched the home victory and the top position in Group D. Cape Verde finished with a four-point lead over Cameroon, who ended their match in a 0-0 draw against Angola.
The nine group winners automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the four best runners-up will engage in a mini-tournament later this November. Cameroon still retains hopes of advancing as a runner-up in this competition.
Record ticket sales highlighted the Cape Verde match, prompting the government to declare a half-day holiday for citizens to watch the game. Following their groundbreaking achievement, FIFA president Gianni Infantino expressed congratulations in Portuguese, celebrating Cape Verde’s historical entry into the World Cup and emphasizing the impact of this success on the nation’s football development.
The upcoming World Cup in 2026 will be notable as it expands to 48 teams, an increase from the previous 32.
In other Group D action, Mauritius and Libya shared the spoils in a 0-0 draw. Additionally, Lesotho recorded a 1-0 victory against Zimbabwe in Group C.
Tunisia Finishes Qualifying Strong
Tunisia capped off their successful African qualifying campaign by defeating Namibia 3-0 at home, having already secured their World Cup spot. Star player Ali Abdi scored a penalty in the 28th minute, followed by contributions from Hannibal Mejbri and Ferjani Sassi in the second half.
With this win, Tunisia topped Group H with 28 points from 10 matches, finishing a significant 13 points ahead of second-place Namibia. In other Group H matches, Equatorial Guinea and Liberia played to a 1-1 draw, while last-placed São Tomé and Príncipe celebrated their first win by defeating Malawi 1-0.
In Group B, South Sudan and Togo ended their matchup in a 0-0 stalemate.
On Sunday, Ghana, a quarterfinalist in 2010, became the fifth African nation to qualify for the World Cup, joining Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco for the tournament held next year in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
n
