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The Cape Verde national football team is seeking to perform well in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations finals, which will be held in Ivory Coast between January 13 and February 11, 2024.
The Blue Sharks hope to repeat what they achieved 10 years ago in the South African edition, when they reached the quarter-finals in the tournament, which was their best achievement in the finals, but they were defeated by Ghana with two unanswered goals.
Cape Verde plays in the second group, which is considered difficult with the presence of Egypt, Ghana and Mozambique.
Establishing
The Cape Verde Football Federation was established in 1982, and after 4 years it obtained membership in the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), and joined the African Confederation in 2000, and the federation is currently headed by Victor Osorio.
On April 19, 1978, the national team played its first international match against Guinea, defeating it 1-0.
In the latest FIFA rankings in November 2023, the team ranked 73rd in the world, while 27th was the best in its career.
Africa Cup
The Cape Verde national team participated 3 times in the continental championship:
- 2013 version: The Cape Verde national team participated for the first time in the African Cup of Nations in this edition, which was played in South Africa, and reached the quarter-finals, but was defeated by Ghana with a score of 2-0, ending its participation in seventh place.
- 2015 edition in Equatorial Guinea: Eliminated in the group stage.
- 2021 edition in Cameroon: He reached the round of 16 before being defeated by two unanswered goals against the Senegal national team, which later won the title by defeating Egypt in the final on penalties 4-2.
In the total of its last three participations, the team scored 6 goals, and conceded 9 goals.
🇨🇻 The Cape Verde national team gave a wonderful performance in its first participation in the African Cup of Nations in 2013. They deserved to advance to the quarter-finals 🦈
Will the Blue Sharks succeed in reaching beyond this stage in the next version? 🤔#TotalEnergiesAFCON | @fcfcomunica pic.twitter.com/TtGiCW0J2w
— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) November 28, 2021
The most prominent players in the history of the Cape Verde national team
Some former players in the Cape Verdean national team stand out, such as:
- Babenko (third most participating player with 62 matches)
- Hildon is the national team's all-time top scorer (15 goals in 52 matches)
- Lito
- Calo Vidadi
- Fernando Varela
- Marco Soares.
The most prominent current Cape Verdean national team players
- Ryan Mendes, the striker of the Turkish Fatih Karagumruk team, heads the list of the best current players, and ranks second on the list of all-time top scorers with 15 goals, and is also the one who participated the most with the national team, with 69 matches.
- Pepe, the Spanish Rayo Vallecano striker.
- Gary Rodriguez, Al-Ittihad Saudi striker.
- Julio Tavares, the Saudi Al-Raed player.
(18/60🇨🇻)Ryan Isaac Mendes da Graça
📊74 matches and 9 goals with Lille, which seems to be the pinnacle of his career given the exotic clubs he has been with since…
🌍Cape Verdean international with around forty caps and 7 goals pic.twitter.com/vDI1b5JW8Z— Statilosc (@Statilosc) March 28, 2020
Blue Sharks national team coach
Local coach Pedro Brito, or “Bobista” as he is called in Cape Verde, has been coaching his country’s national team since January 2022. Brito (53 years old) led the “Blue Sharks” in 32 international matches, achieving victories in 15 matches and draws in 8. matches and defeat in 9.
Under his leadership, the team scored 40 goals and conceded 29 goals.
Cape Verde's matches in Group Two of the African Nations
- Sunday 14 January: Ghana x Cape Verde (Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny)
- Friday 19 January: Cape Verde x Mozambique (Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny)
- Monday 22 January: Cape Verde x Egypt (Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny)
