Cape Verde erupts in celebration after first World Cup qualification

Former AFC Leopards attacking midfielder Charles Okwemba is confident Harambee Stars are capable of going toe to toe with high-flying Group F leaders Ivory Coast in tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier clash.

Okwemba has echoed head coach Benni McCarthy who warned the West Africans that they will not fear any team, despite their qualification ambitions being pegged on that match.

Ivory Coast are on 23 points, only one ahead of second-placed Gabon and are well aware that there is no room for mistakes when they face Kenya tomorrow from 10 PM.

“It’s very much in order for McCarthy to say we don’t fear any team. The moment we step on that pitch I can assure you that any team can produce results against any opponent in this present world of football.

“The team will always want to ride on the strongest belief of their head coach and so when you see McCarthy saying so it is for the benefit to our boys to go out there with no doubt that they can produce a win against the African champions”,

Okwemba said, Leopards are “big club and deserve everything that comes with it”, adding that, “all is posiible”.

However, according to Okwemba, the ticket-decider clash will not be easy for Harambee Stars who beat Burundi 1-0 last week to climb third behind Ivory Coast and Gabon.

Kenya has won two matches in a row for the first time in these World Cup qualifiers but tomorrow’s clash proves to be their toughest going with the fact that The Elephants will want to win it by all means to book a ticket for the Canada, Mexico and USA tournament next year.

Already Ghana, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria have qualified and the other four African teams will be known after the last round of matches tomorrow.

The last time Kenya played Ivory Coast the match ended in a barren draw on June 11 last year when Kenya hosted the world cup round one qualifier match at Bingu National Stadium in Malawi due to the unavailability of venues at home according to CAF standards.

A carnival-like atmosphere erupted in the streets of Cape Verde's capital Praia on Monday after the tiny archipelago nation qualified for the World Cup for the first time.

Honking horns and street fireworks greeted euphoric fans pouring out of the Cape Verde National Stadium following the 3-0 victory over Eswatini, which secured the Blue Sharks a place in the 2026 finals, to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In the street, people danced to the sound of reggae tunes and local funana music.

It was "an incredible moment", 37-year-old fan Jorge Junior Livramento told AFP near the stadium.

"I don't have words. I was at the stadium and I supported our team unconditionally," he said.

Congratulating Cape Verde on their "historic moment", FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the achievement was likely to "power a new generation of football lovers" across the nation.

Cape Verde, located off the coast of Senegal, is the country with the smallest population to represent Africa in the global showpiece, with just 550,000 inhabitants.

It becomes the second-least populous nation to reach the World Cup, after Iceland, with just over 350,000, at Russia 2018.

"I shouted a lot during the match and now my voice is bad, but I am happy," Praia resident Jose Vieira told AFP after the victory, which he watched live in the stadium.

The celebrations were expected to continue into the night with a concert at Praia's municipal stadium featuring local artists such as Djodje and Soraia Ramos.

Blue Sharks Coach Pedro 'Bubista' Brito told the press that "giving this happiness to these people is enormous", adding that "it's a victory for all the Cape Verdean people".

Cape Verde won Group D with 23 points, four more than Cameroon, who hold the African record for World Cup appearances with eight. Cameroon drew 0-0 with Angola in Yaounde.

An archipelago of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Verde gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and first attempted to reach the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

"It's a special moment in this celebration of the 50th anniversary of our independence," coach Bubista said.

"It's a victory for all the Cape Verdean people and, above all, a victory for those who fought for our independence."

On the island of Sao Vicente, Doris Da Luz, a trader and entrepreneur, told AFP that she was "very proud".

"It's a fight we've been trying to achieve for a long time and finally coach Bubista managed to get us there", said Da Luz, dressed in the team's blue.

The team reached the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on their debut in 2013 and again in 2023 and are currently ranked 70th in the world.

"It's time to celebrate," 39-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha told reporters, explaining that he had "been dreaming of this moment since I was a child".

Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Cape Verde have now won groups and filled six of the nine places automatically reserved for Africa at the 2026 World Cup.

Fan Jose Jorge Borges, a 60-year-old journalist, told AFP in Praia it was a very memorable moment for Cape Verdeans.

"The emotions are visible and difficult to describe", he said.