Cape Verde made history by participating in the FIFA World Cup for the first time. The African nation secured a place in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup as runners-up after drawing three out of three matches with Saudi Arabia in the final match of Group ‘H’.
The match, held at Houston Stadium, was a cautious affair from the start, with both teams focusing on playing with caution. Clear-cut scoring opportunities were few and far between in the first half. Mohammed Kanu had the best chance for Saudi Arabia, but Cape Verde’s experienced goalkeeper Vojinha made a great save to keep the team alive.
Cape Verde took control of the match in the second half. Wagner Pina, Kevin Pina, Laros Dourato and Nuno da Costa created several chances but failed to score. In particular, da Costa shot wide of the post after a cutback from Rodriguez in the dying moments of the match.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper Vojinha was the hero of the match, making superb saves from Mohamed Kano’s header in first-half stoppage time, Mohamed Abu Al-Shamat’s powerful shot in the 66th minute and Abdullah Al-Hamdan’s sure-fire goal in stoppage time.
Cape Verde also had the upper hand statistically. They had 51 percent possession and took a total of 15 shots, three of which were on target. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, managed to put three on target with six shots.
In the other group match, Spain defeated Uruguay, sending Cape Verde through to the knockout stages as runners-up with three points from three matches. At the same time, the team achieved the rare feat of reaching the last 32 in their World Cup debut.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s World Cup mission ended at the bottom of the group with just two points from three matches.