Cape Verde and Rwanda set for third meeting after two goalless draws

Cape Verde and Rwanda will meet for only the third time on Tuesday, 29 September, with their two previous encounters both ending 0-0.

The sides drew in Praia on 12 November 2020 during qualifying for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, before producing the same score five days later at Kigali’s Stade Pele.

Neither team has scored in the fixture, leaving a perfectly balanced but largely unrewarding head-to-head record for their attacking players. Their latest meeting, in the second matchday of 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, gives one side the chance to end that run.

The earlier double-header was part of Group F, which also included Cameroon and Mozambique. Cameroon secured qualification, while Cape Verde finished second with 10 points. Rwanda ended the campaign in third place, with Mozambique fourth and last.

Since then, Cape Verde have reached a landmark moment in their football history. The Blue Sharks secured their first-ever qualification for a World Cup after beating Cameroon and Eswatini successively during the final stages of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Rwanda, meanwhile, are continuing their pursuit of greater recognition in African football under manager Adel Amrouche.

The meeting in Tuesday’s qualifying campaign will therefore carry significance beyond the two points-less previous fixtures. After two matches in which neither side managed to find the net, this third encounter could alter a rivalry that has so far remained completely even.