NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • Generate wealth weekly
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Football / Football World Cup

Fifa World Cup: Cape Verde make history with World Cup qualification

AFP
13 Oct, 2025 06:54 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Cape Verde players pose for a team photo ahead of a Fifa World Cup 2026 Africa qualifier. Photo / AFP

Cape Verde players pose for a team photo ahead of a Fifa World Cup 2026 Africa qualifier. Photo / AFP

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Cape Verde beat Eswatini 3-0 today to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup, booking their place in football’s global showpiece for the very first time.

The team from an archipelago off the coast of Senegal has about 550,000 inhabitants, making Cape Verde the country with the smallest population to represent Africa in the global showpiece.

Cape Verde won Group D with 23 points, four more than Cameroon, who hold the African record for World Cup appearances with eight. Cameroon drew 0-0 with Angola in Yaounde.

After dominating the first half of the 2026 qualifier, but seldom threatening to score, the Blue Sharks struck twice through Dailon Livramento and Willy Semedo in the first nine minutes after half-time before a 15,000 flag-waving crowd in Praia.

Livramento claimed his fourth goal of the 10-round qualifying campaign on 48 minutes and Semedo struck six minutes later. Both goals came from close-range tap-ins.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Cape Verde added a third goal in added time when Stopira, a substitute for Joao Paulo, pounced on a loose ball to score.

Cape Verde rely heavily on players born outside the nation to Cape Verdean parents or grandparents. Livramento was born in Rotterdam and Semedo near Paris.

Eswatini had come to the 10-island archipelago with little attacking ambition, adopting a 5-4-1 formation in front of goalkeeper Khanyakwezwe Shabalala.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But after conceding twice, there was no way back for the team from southern Africa, who lost seven qualifiers and drew the other three.

Cape Verde spread the national team net wide with three starters based in Portugal and one each in the United States, Republic of Ireland, UAE, Romania, Russia, Netherlands, Turkey and Cyprus.

The remarkable qualification of Cape Verde came after they made a disappointing start to the 10-match campaign, drawing 0-0 at home with Angola and slumping to a 4-1 loss in Cameroon.

Those results left the Blue Sharks with four points from a possible nine, having won away to Eswatini in between.

Discover more

Media Insider

'Game-changer': TVNZ to launch pay-TV with exclusive Football World Cup rights

25 Aug 06:02 AM
All Whites

All Whites stun Ivory Coast for notable win as Fifa World Cup countdown begins

08 Jun 02:09 AM
Premium
Opinion

All Whites report card: Jason Pine hands A+ rating to ‘future captain’

27 Mar 10:15 PM
Sport

World Cup payday: The ‘life-changing’ money All Whites receive for qualification

25 Mar 09:15 PM

But after the matchday three loss in Yaounde, Cape Verde won five consecutive qualifiers, including crucial one-goal victories away to Angola and at home to Cameroon.

That left the islanders needing three points from their final two qualifiers this month and a drama-filled 3-3 in Libya secured one before hosting Eswatini.

Last year, in the midst of the World Cup campaign, Cape Verde fared poorly in 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, winning only one match of six and failing to secure a place at the tournament.

Despite flopping in a group from which Egypt and Botswana advanced, Cape Verdean officials retained faith in long-serving coach Pedro Leitao Brito.

After two stints as assistant coach of the national team and spells with five local clubs, the coach popularly known as Bubista took charge of Cape Verde in 2020.

The 55-year-old former centre-back, who represented his country 21 times, guided Cape Verde to successive AFCON tournaments, in Cameroon three years ago and Ivory Coast last year.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

They reached the knockout phase each time, making a last-16 exit, then losing a quarter-final against South Africa on penalties after having four spot-kicks saved.

In Group H, already-qualified Tunisia achieved a ninth victory by overcoming second-placed Namibia 3-0 near Tunis with Hannibal Mejbri from Premier League outfit Burnley among the scorers.

The Carthage Eagles, who will make a seventh appearance at the World Cup next year, scored 22 goals in 10 qualifiers and did not concede.

Despite the loss, Namibia edged Liberia on goal difference for the runners-up spot, but will finish last in the table for second-placed nations and be eliminated.

Having suspended French coach Nicolas Dupuis after a five-goal hiding from Senegal last Friday, South Sudan kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 Group B draw with fellow eliminated side Togo.

Top spot in the section rests between Senegal, the leaders with 21 points, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, who are two points behind. Both play their final qualifiers tomorrow.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Qualified teams for the 2026 Fifa World Cup

OFC (1)

New Zealand

AFC (6)

Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan (debut), South Korea, Uzbekistan (debut).

CAF (6)

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Algeria, Cape Verde (debut), Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia.

CONCACAF (3)

Canada (co-host), Mexico (co-host), United States (co-host).

CONMEBOL (6)

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Football World Cup

Football World Cup

Fifa holds talks at Trump Tower over 64-team 2030 World Cup

24 Sep 06:44 PM
All Whites

'They break your shin bone': All White Ryan Thomas on the operation that saved his career

04 Sep 06:01 AM
Premium
Auckland FC

In Alex Paulsen's shadow: Meet Auckland FC's first-equal signing, who's yet to debut

15 Jul 03:01 AM

Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Football World Cup

Fifa holds talks at Trump Tower over 64-team 2030 World Cup
Football World Cup

Fifa holds talks at Trump Tower over 64-team 2030 World Cup

There is expected to be stiff opposition to the potential doubling of tournament's size.

24 Sep 06:44 PM
'They break your shin bone': All White Ryan Thomas on the operation that saved his career
All Whites

'They break your shin bone': All White Ryan Thomas on the operation that saved his career

04 Sep 06:01 AM
Premium
Premium
In Alex Paulsen's shadow: Meet Auckland FC's first-equal signing, who's yet to debut
Auckland FC

In Alex Paulsen's shadow: Meet Auckland FC's first-equal signing, who's yet to debut

15 Jul 03:01 AM


Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable
Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP