Cape Verde strengthened their grip on Group D in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Angola in Luanda on Tuesday.
The win ensures they remain top of the standings, piling pressure on Cameroon in the race for qualification.
Despite an early setback when Alessio and Jamiro Monteiro were forced off with injuries in the 22nd minute, their replacements, Telmo Arcanjo and Dailon Livramento, proved decisive.
Livramento, a striker for Hellas Verona, made an instant impact, scoring his first two international goals to guide his team to victory.
The breakthrough came in stoppage time of the first half when Livramento was played through on goal, calmly slotting past goalkeeper Neblu to give Cape Verde the lead (0-1, 45+2).
Angola responded immediately after the restart, with Gelson Dala leveling the score in the 50th minute (1-1).
However, Livramento struck again in the 63rd minute, latching onto a pass and lifting the ball over Neblu to restore Cape Verde’s advantage (1-2).
Despite Angola dominating possession and creating several chances, Cape Verde’s defensive resilience ensured they held on for the win.
The result guarantees that Bubista’s side will remain at the top of Group D, regardless of the outcome of Cameroon’s clash with Libya later in the evening.
Meanwhile, Angola’s qualification hopes have suffered a significant blow, leaving them with little margin for error in their remaining fixtures.
