Ryan Mendes scored from the penalty spot late on as Cape Verde secured a 1-0 win over Mauritania to reach the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals for the second time in their history.
The Blue Sharks outdid themselves during the group stage as they topped Group B and finished ahead of powerhouses Egypt and Ghana.
The Lions of Chinguetti meanwhile have been a thorn in the flesh of teams in Ivory Coast which was good enough to see them finish third in Group D and reach the knockout phase for the very first time.
They made life difficult for the Cape Vardeans but Bubista’s men created more chances in the second half with Mauritania goalkeeper Babacar Niasse making a couple of smart saves.
Mauritania’s resilience was finally broken in the 88th minute when Yassin Cheik El Welly brought down Benchimol in the penalty area which allowed Cape Verde all-time top scorer Mendes to convert.
FULL TIME⏱️
The Blue Shark triumph to secure a QUARTER FINAL SPOTCape Verde???????? 1-0 ????????Mauritania#Afrosport #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 #CPVMTN pic.twitter.com/DoXr1uM15Y
— AfroSport (@AfroSportTV) January 29, 2024
The Blue Sharks will get to face the winner of Tuesday’s round of 16 between South Africa and Morocco in the last eight.
