In a thrilling match at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Cape Verde defeated Mauritania 1-0 with a late penalty scored by Ryan Mendes, securing their place in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
Throughout the game, Cape Verde had more possession and created more chances. Jovane Cabral had a goal disallowed for offside early on. However, Mauritania’s defence held strong, and both teams went into the closing stages of the game without scoring a goal.
As the match progressed, Cape Verde continued to push for a goal, while Mauritania posed threats on the counterattack. The passionate fans of both teams cheered loudly, but the deadlock remained.
In the 87th minute, Babacar Niasse of Mauritania fouled Gilson Tavares in the box, giving Cape Verde a penalty kick. Ryan Mendes stepped up and scored, making the score 1-0 in favour of Cape Verde.
With time running out, Mauritania tried to equalise, but Cape Verde held on to secure their spot in the quarter-finals for the second time. They will face either Morocco or South Africa on Saturday.
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