November 15, (THEWILL) – Egypt’s perfect qualification record ended following a 1-1 draw against Cape Verde in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Group C encounter on Friday evening, at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde.
The visiting Pharaohs struck first through Taher Mohamed in the 31st minute, capitalising on earlier opportunities that saw Osama Faisal and Mahmoud Saber test Cape Verde goalkeeper, Bruno Varela, in the opening half hour.
Cape Verde, requiring victory to maintain their qualification hopes, responded strongly after the interval. Their equaliser arrived in the 63rd minute when Ryan Mendes converted from the penalty spot following a foul by Mohamed Saber.
Despite introducing former Manchester United forward, Bebe, in the closing stages, Cape Verde could not find a winning goal. The result effectively ends their qualification campaign as they remain three points behind second-placed Botswana with an inferior head-to-head record.
Egypt, who had already confirmed their place at the finals prior to this fixture, will conclude their qualifying matches against Botswana on Tuesday, while Cape Verde travel to face Mauritania on the same day.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
