Cape Verde’s World Cup Dream Teeters After Libya’s Dramatic 3-3 Duel

Drama in Tripoli as Libya Hold Cape Verde to a 3-3 Draw

Libya earned a dramatic 3-3 draw against Cape Verde at Tripoli International Stadium on Wednesday, in the ninth round of Africa’s qualifying groups for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Cape Verde needed a win to seal their first-ever World Cup appearance and still have a final chance when they host Eswatini in the last round. They lead Group D on 20 points, two clear of Cameroon, which beat Mauritius 2-0 and now faces Angola in the last round, while Libya sit third on 15 points.

In the opening minutes, Libya took the lead when a cross from Az-eddin “Azu” Al-Murimi was diverted into his own net by Cape Verde defender Roberto Lopes, giving the home side a 1-0 advantage. Cape Verde responded before the break as Herberto Tevarish delivered a cross that Telmo Arcanjo headed home to level the score at 1-1 (30).

Libya regained the lead when Moath Issa followed up a saved effort and netted on a rebound from the Cape Verde goalkeeper (42). Mahmoud Al-Shalawi added a brilliant free-kick to push Libya’s lead to 3-1 (58). Cape Verde pressed hard and found a lifeline as Cindy Cabral reduced the deficit in the 76th minute following a pass from Kevin Linini, and Willie Semedo equalized with a powerful strike late on (83).

In the other Group D game, Cameroon edged Mauritius 2-0 in Saint-Pierre thanks to goals from Nicolas Momi Ngamelo (57) and Bryan Mbombo (90+2), keeping their qualification hopes alive. A separate, marginal match saw Eswatini and Angola finish level at 2-2, while Ethiopia defeated Guinea-Bissau 1-0 in Group A.

The group winners advance to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the best four runners-up entering a playoff for another chance. Cape Verde’s resurgence reflects a broader strategy to identify and recruit diaspora talent abroad, with agent Tony Araújo noting the growing pool of players born outside the archipelago who can strengthen the national team.

Historically, Cape Verde’s ascent has been rapid: the nation, with around 600,000 inhabitants, would become the second-smallest nation to reach a World Cup finals if they win in the final round. Their AFCON history includes a run to the quarterfinals in 2013 and another strong showing in the most recent edition in Ivory Coast before a penalty shootout exit. Their development has been aided by recruiting players from the Netherlands, Portugal, France, and Ireland, among others, who choose to represent Cape Verde on the international stage.

FIFA’s expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams from 2026 has widened opportunities for smaller nations to qualify, with the 2026 edition hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and the 2030 edition planned for Morocco, Spain and Portugal. The road to the World Cup remains long and uncertain, but Cape Verde’s progress continues to turn heads across African football.

Punchline time: If suspense were a goalkeeper, this group would have a wall of stops and still concede a cliffhanger at the end. Punchline 2: Cape Verde’s passports are gaining frequent-flier miles—one more round and they’ll qualify for a world tour, whether the plane lands or not.