The Blue Sharks of Cape Verde went against the odds to progress to the quarter finals of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 1-0 win over Mauritania.
Monday night football at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan was all about Ryan Mendes, who captured the spotlight from the onset.
The Cape Verde captain looked dangerous in the opening exchanges as he saw two attempts at Mauritania goalkeeper Babacar Niasse miss the mark in the first ten minutes.
The Blue Sharks dominated the ball and despite the Lions of Chinguetti remaining creative, they were simply not clinical enough in front of goal.
Niasse kept his side in the game until the very end, though, making some crucial saves midway through the second half.
It was a penalty for Cape Verde in the final few minutes that proved too much for Mauritania to contend with.
Mendes fired it into the back of the net and his side would hold on through ten minutes of added time to claim a famous win.
The competition’s smallest nation could achieve their best-ever finish at Afcon should they win their last eight fixture.
It will not be an easy task though, with either Bafana Bafana or Morocco awaiting the Islanders in the next round.
Pictured above: Ryan Mendes
Image source: @snecinho
