Cape Verde and Angola are set to kickstart their journey in the direction of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they face off on the Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde on Thursday in Group D of the qualifiers.
Match Preview
Cape Verde confronted a setback of their current pleasant in opposition to Comoros, struggling a 2-1 defeat regardless of Kenny Rocha Santos’s early objective.
Les Coelacantes turned the sport round with objectives from Adel Mahamoud and Younes Almindhoiri.
This defeat provides to Cape Verde’s three consecutive losses throughout varied competitions, together with a 3-2 loss in opposition to Togo in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Regardless of these setbacks, Cape Verde secured a second-place end within the AFCON qualifiers, incomes them a spot on the continental match.
They return to their residence floor after three away video games, aiming to proceed their unbeaten run at residence, having gained 4 of their final seven matches since October 2021.
Angola, having clinched a runner-up place within the 2024 AFCON qualifiers, seeks a robust begin within the World Cup qualifiers.
Though they struggled just lately with a 4-0 loss to Iran and consecutive attracts in opposition to Mozambique and Congo DR, they goal to safe solely their second World Cup look.
Pedro Goncalves’s males, who participated in the 2006 World Cup, try to duplicate or surpass their earlier efficiency.
Nonetheless, their away type, with only one win in six outings since November 2022, poses a problem.
Group information
Cape Verde has known as up 24-man squad, together with skilled goalkeeper Vozinha and striker Ryan Mendes, who goals to surpass Heldon within the nation’s scoring chart.
Angola’s camp options defensive stalwarts Nurio Fortuna and Anderson Lucoqui amongst their 25-man squad, with Fredy because the most-capped participant.
Predicted lineups:
Cape Verde:(4-2-3-1)
Vozinha;
Pico, Tavares, Costa, Paulo;
Duarte, Santos;
Andrade, Mendes, Bebe;
Rodrigues
Angola:(4-2-3-1)
Neblu;
Afonso, Gaspar, Buatu, Fortuna;
Fredy, Paz;
Present, Balburdia, Luvumbo;
Malbululu
Prediction: Cape Verde 1-0 Angola
Each Cape Verde and Angola search a morale-boosting begin after current challenges. With Cape Verde’s robust residence document, unbeaten in aggressive video games since January 2022, they’re favored to safe a victory on this opening conflict.
