Cape Verde secured a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory over Mauritania in Abidjan, thanks to a late penalty converted by captain Ryan Mendes in the 88th minute.
The Blue Sharks, surprising many after finishing unbeaten at the top of Group B ahead of Egypt and Ghana, will now face either Morocco or South Africa in the quarter-finals.
Despite being second-best for most of the first half, Cape Verde finished strongly to ensure their progression. Mauritania had reached the knockout stages for the first time by defeating two-time winners Algeria 1-0 in their final group game.
The first half saw end-to-end action, but clear-cut chances were limited. Mauritania faced a setback in the 35th minute when Omare Gassama was carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Guessouma Fofana.
In the second half, Mauritania dominated early on, and Souleymane Anne missed a key chance just before the hour mark. Cape Verde then surged in the closing stages, with Garry Rodrigues and Mendes forcing excellent saves from Mauritania goalkeeper Babacar Niasse.
The decisive moment came in the 87th minute when a misplaced headed back-pass by Yassin El Welly led to a penalty. Mendes calmly converted the spot-kick down the middle, securing Cape Verde’s place in the quarter-finals as they saw out 10 minutes of added time.
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