Defender Borges of Cabo Verde celebrates after scoring for his side in the 2-0 win over Mauritius in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Thursday, Photo: FIFA's official website.
The Blue Sharks dominated the match, with Jovane Cabral breaking the deadlock in the 22nd minute before Borges sealed victory in the 71st minute.
The result cemented Cabo Verde’s place at the top of the group with 16 points, four clear of second-placed Cameroon, who face bottom side Eswatini later on Thursday. Mauritius remained fifth with five points.
Elsewhere, Libya kept their hopes of reaching the finals alive after edging Angola 1-0, thanks to Ezzeddin El Maremi’s header in the 48th minute.
The result keeps Libya third with 11 points, while Angola remained fourth on seven.
In Group H, Equatorial Guinea staged a stunning comeback to beat São Tomé e Príncipe 3-2 as Ronaldo Afonso netted twice from the penalty spot in the opening 21 minutes to give the hosts a two-goal cushion.
Equatorial Guinea responded strongly after the break, with Pablo Ganet pulling one back from a free kick in the 52nd minute, with Ivan Salvador levelling the score in the 61st before Jose Nabil struck the winner eight minutes later.
The victory lifted Equatorial Guinea to third on 10 points, three ahead of Liberia, who face leaders Tunisia later on Thursday, while São Tomé e Príncipe stayed bottom without a point.
In Group I, Madagascar claimed a convincing 2-0 victory over the Central African Republic, climbing to second place with 13 points, three behind leaders Ghana. The Black Stars were held to a 1-1 draw by Chad.
The nine group winners will qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup, while the four best runners-up will compete for one place in a Play-off Tournament.
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