Cape Verde Matches Ghana’s World Cup Feat After Historic Knockout Round Qualification

The Blue Sharks of Cape Verde made history by reaching the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a 0‑0 draw with Saudi Arabia in the final Group H match, played in the early hours of Saturday.

With that result, Cape Verde finished second in the group on three points and qualified automatically for the round of 32.

Spain topped Group H on seven points after a 1‑0 win over Uruguay in the other final Group H fixture. Both Uruguay (two points) and Saudi Arabia (two points) were eliminated.

Cape Verde now joins Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Ghana’s Black Stars, and Senegal’s Teranga Lions as the only African teams to reach the World Cup knockout round in their debut appearances.

The Super Eagles were the first to achieve this milestone when they made their World Cup debut at the 1994 tournament in the United States.

Under Dutch coach Clemens Westerhof, the Super Eagles topped a group that included Argentina, Bulgaria, and debutants Greece.

Their campaign ended after a 2‑1 loss to a 10‑man Italy side in the round of 16.

Senegal replicated the Super Eagles’ achievement in their debut at the 2002 World Cup, co‑hosted by South Korea and Japan.

The Teranga Lions finished second on five points, following a 1‑0 win over France and draws of 1‑1 with Denmark and 3‑3 with Uruguay.

Senegal advanced to the quarterfinals before losing 1‑0 to Turkey, with the goal coming from a golden goal.

At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Ghana made its first appearance and was drawn into a group with Italy, the Czech Republic, and the United States.

After a 2‑0 defeat to Italy in their opening match, the Black Stars beat the Czech Republic 2‑0 and then overcame the United States 2‑1 to reach the round of 16.

Ghana faced a star‑laden Brazilian side featuring Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Kaka in the first knockout round and lost 3‑0.

By James Agberebi