March 28, (THEWILL) – Cape Verde’s national soccer team is one step closer to qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations after a 1-0 victory against Eswatini, at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa.
Ryan Mendes scored the only goal of the match in the 56th minute, as the Blue Sharks extended their unbeaten run to three games and opened up a five-point lead over the King’s Shield in Group B.
Eswatini entered the match with hopes of securing their first win in the qualifiers, but Cape Verde proved to be a formidable opponent. While the Blue Sharks dominated possession in the first half, Eswatini created seven scoring chances and came close to finding the net on several occasions. However, Cape Verde’s defence held strong, and goalkeeper Vozinha made a crucial save on a penalty kick to secure the win.
With two matches remaining in the qualifying rounds, Cape Verde looks poised to advance to the AFCON. Meanwhile, Eswatini will need to win both of their remaining games to have a chance at finishing in the top two of their group. The next match for Cape Verde will be against Sudan, while Eswatini will face off against Guinea-Bissau.
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.
