By Ohuakanwa Chibuzo
In a historic turn of events, Cape Verde secured their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations knockout victory as a late penalty by Ryan Mendes sealed a 1-0 win over Mauritania in the last 16 match yesterday.
The game at the Felix Houphouët Boigny Stadium in Abidjan seemed destined for extra time until Cape Verde was awarded a penalty late in the game. Captain Mendes calmly converted the spot-kick with just two minutes left of regular time, breaking Mauritania’s resilient defense.
The Blue Sharks resiliently held on through 10 added minutes to secure a spot in the quarter-finals, set to take place on Saturday in Yamoussoukro against the winner of the Morocco vs. South Africa clash in the last 16.
Although Cape Verde had advanced from their group in two of their three previous AFCON appearances, they had never before progressed past a knockout stage.
Cape Verde coach Pedro ‘Bubista’ Brito expressed pride in his team’s achievements, emphasizing their deserving victory and setting their sights on further progress in the tournament, with a goal to reach the semi-finals.
Mauritania, aiming to extend their impressive run at Cote d’Ivoire 2023, faced disappointment after failing to find a breakthrough against Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha. Despite coach Amir Abdou’s positive outlook, the team will regroup for future competitions.
Reflecting on missed opportunities, Mauritania’s Chinguetti Lions will rue a golden chance before the hour mark when Souleymane Anne squandered a promising opportunity.
In the tense closing moments, Cape Verde appeared more threatening, with Mendes nearly adding to the tally with a well-saved header from a corner. The late drama unfolded when Mendes converted the decisive penalty, etching his name in Cape Verde’s history books with a historic victory.