FIFA World Cup 2026 CAF Qualifiers: Cape Verde Qualify For First-Ever World Cup After Beating Eswatini

Cape Verde secured their first FIFA World Cup spot after defeating Eswatini in the African Qualifiers, marking a historic milestone for the tiny island nation

Cape Verde vs Eswatini match report FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Qualifiers Group D matchday 10
Cape Verde's Stopira celebrates with his teammate after defeating Eswatini in a World Cup qualifying soccer match at Estádio Nacional in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, to clinch their qualification for the 2026 World Cup. | Photo: AP/Cristiano Barbosa
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Summary
Summary of this article
  • Cape Verde qualified for their first FIFA World Cup in 2026

  • The team secured a 3-0 victory against Eswatini on October 13

  • Cape Verde finished four points ahead of Cameroon in Group D

Cape Verde will play in the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history after beating Eswatini 3-0 to confirm their Group D victory in the 2026 African Qualifiers on Monday, October 13, 2025. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the tiny island nation, as Cape Verde earned one of Africa's automatic berths for the prestigious global tournament.

The archipelago of volcanic islands, located off the western coast of Africa, obtained one of the continent's nine automatic qualification spots. Cape Verde is now the second smallest nation by population, after Iceland in 2018, to feature in the World Cup.

Dailon Livramento opened the scoring in the 48th minute, with Willy Semedo adding a second in the 54th minute. Stopira then netted a goal in stoppage time, ensuring the home victory and securing first place in Group D. As the final whistle blew, fans chanted in the stands while players celebrated on the pitch.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino delivered a video message. "What a historic moment," he said. "Congratulations to everyone in Cape Verde for making the FIFA World Cup for the first time. Your flag will fly and your anthem will be heard at the greatest FIFA World Cup ever."

"Your work on football development in recent years has been incredible and this is a moment where your stars will become global and power a new generation of football lovers across Cape Verde," he added.

The Blue Sharks finished four points ahead of Cameroon, who only managed a 0-0 draw against Angola at home. Cape Verde, a nation of approximately 525,000 people, needed a victory but could have qualified even with a loss, provided Cameroon did not defeat Angola.

FIFA reported that tickets for the Cape Verde match sold out in record time. The government declared a half-day public holiday across the country, allowing citizens to watch the game. The 2026 World Cup will feature an expanded field of 48 teams, an increase from the previous 32.

The nine group winners automatically qualify for the World Cup. The four best runners-up will compete in a mini-tournament, featuring two semi-finals and a final, in November.

Cameroon can still advance via the runner-up path. The winner of this repechage round proceeds to FIFA's play-off tournament against teams from Asia, CONCACAF, South America, and Oceania.

In Group D’s other fixture, Mauritius and Libya drew 0-0. In Group C, Lesotho defeated Zimbabwe 1-0 at home.

Tunisia's Unbeaten Run Ends

Having already confirmed their World Cup place, Tunisia concluded their African qualifying campaign with another win, securing a comfortable 3-0 home victory over Namibia. Ali Abdi converted a penalty in the 28th minute, and Hannibal Mejbri and Ferjani Sassi added goals in the second half.

This result cemented Tunisia's impressive record in African qualifying. Tunisia won Group H with 28 points from 10 matches, scoring 22 goals and conceding none. They dropped only two points, finishing 13 points clear of second-placed Namibia.

Elsewhere in Group H, Equatorial Guinea drew 1-1 with Liberia, while Sao Tome and Principe beat Malawi 1-0. This marked their first group win and their first World Cup preliminary victory in 10 years. In Group B, South Sudan drew 0-0 with Togo.

Ghana, the 2010 quarter-finalist, qualified for the tournament on Sunday, becoming the fifth African nation to secure a spot. They join Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco in next year’s tournament, which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

(With AP Inputs)

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