Cape Verde Islands become the first country to qualify for the Round of 16 of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast after beating Mozambique 3-0 on Friday.
Former Manchester United player Bebe scored a 40-yard free-kick to put Cape Verde infront in the 32nd minute, while Captain Ryan Mendes took advantage of a defensive mistake to double their lead six minutes after the break.
In the 69th minute, Kevin Pina then hammered a brilliant strike into the top corner from outside the box to seal the win.
Mozambique’s best moments came through Geny Catamo. He won a penalty in the first half, which was overturned by the video assistant referee (VAR), and hit the crossbar with a free-kick.
With one game remaining, the Blue Sharks, who defeated Ghana 2-1 in their first match top with maximum six points ahead of Ghana and Egypt in a group that no one would have predicted, but that is exactly what happened.
This is their fourth Africa Cup of Nations outing, and Bubista’s team, ranked 73rd in the world, has advanced from the group stages in three of them.
