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LAST UPDATE | 14 Oct
SHAMROCK ROVERS CAPTAIN Pico Lopes has helped Cape Verde to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in its history after a 3-0 victory over Eswatini.
The archipelago in West Africa, with a population of around 600,000, are the second smallest country to reach the tournament after Iceland, who competed in Russia in 2018.
Cape Verde topped Group D with 23 points, four more than Cameroon, who hold the African record for World Cup appearances with eight. Cameroon were held 0-0 by Angola in Yaounde.
After dominating the first half of the final round qualifier, but seldom threatening to score, the Blue Sharks struck twice through Dailon Livramento and Willy Semedo in the first nine minutes after half-time before a 15,000 flag-waving crowd in Praia.
Both goals came from close-range tap-ins, with a dummy from Lopes setting up Livramento’s opening goal.
Cape Verde added a third goal in added time when Stopira, a substitute for Joao Paulo, pounced on a loose ball to score.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning, Lopes described the feeling as “absolutely amazing”.
“I really haven’t got the words for it yet. It’s an overwhelming sense of relief, first and foremost, and then just filled with joy,” he said, adding that he “can’t wait for what’s to come”.
A four-time League of Ireland winner with Shamrock Rovers, Dubliner Lopes was born to an Irish mother and a Cape Verdean father.
The 33-year-old, who has been among the standout players in Ireland’s domestic league for the past 15 years, has represented his dad’s homeland in international football since 2019. The way in which he joined the team was somewhat unusual.
He said that after setting up a LinkedIn account when he was in college, he was used to getting spam messages. One day, the Cape Verde head coach at the time Rui Águas sent him a message in Portuguese.
“I just thought it was just another welcome message, or ‘thanks for connecting’. So I left it there. Nine months later, he wrote to me again in English, asking if I had thought about his proposal,” he said.
After using Google Translate, he discovered that the initial message had been asking him if he was interested in joining the Cape Verde national team.
“I apologised profusely, and asked if the opportunity was still there, I’d love to be a part of it. Thankfully it was, and I think a month later, I made my debut for Cape Verde in Marseille.”
As well as qualifying for the World Cup, Lopes also said that he and his wife are due their first child this week. “I’m in a race now to get back from Lisbon Airport to Dublin to hopefully make that. That’ll probably be the biggest achievement of the year, to be honest with you.”
Cape Verde relies heavily on players born outside the nation to Cape Verdean parents or grandparents. Livramento was born in Rotterdam and Semedo near Paris.
“Giving this happiness to these people is enormous… it’s a victory for all the Cape Verdean people and, above all, a victory for those who fought for our independence,” coach Pedro Brito told reporters.
“It’s a special moment in this celebration of the 50th anniversary of our independence.”
An emotional Vozinha, the 39-year-old goalkeeper, admitted: “I have been dreaming of this moment since I was a child. It’s time to celebrate.
“We knew we could do better (in the second half), and that’s it… it’s time to celebrate.”
“It’s too emotional. I embrace all the Cape Verdean people, at home and in our great diaspora,” said scorer Stopira.
Captain and striker Ryan Mendes added: “Honestly, I don’t have the words to describe this moment. I’m very, very happy.”
The remarkable qualification of Cape Verde came after they made a disappointing start to the campaign, drawing 0-0 at home with Angola and slumping to a 4-1 loss in Cameroon.
Those results left the Blue Sharks with four points from a possible nine, having won away to Eswatini in between.
But after the matchday three loss in Yaounde, Cape Verde won five consecutive qualifiers, including crucial one-goal victories away to Angola and at home to Cameroon.
That left the islanders needing three points from their final two qualifiers this month and a drama-filled 3-3 in Libya secured one before hosting Eswatini.
Last year, in the midst of the World Cup campaign, Cape Verde fared poorly in 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, winning only one match of six and failing to secure a place at the tournament.
With reporting from © AFP 2025
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