Ivory Coast’s Christ Inao Oulai (26) and teammates acknowledge supporters after the World Cup Group E soccer match between Germany and Ivory Coast in Toronto, Saturday, June 20, 2026. Source: @Alexandra Antoniono – FR172363 AP
Cape Verde’s 2026 World Cup debut keeps getting better, and West Africa’s Ivory Coast are also making their mark on the global stage. The Cape Verdean fairy-tale continues.
Like the Pharaohs of Egypt, World Cup debutants Cape Verde recently reached a major milestone. After just two games, the continent has been left profoundly proud of this small, remote island nation that sits off the coast of West Africa.
The streets of Praia erupted in wild elation after earning their first-ever World Cup point against Spain. The country’s flag blew in the wind in several African nations as their 40-year-old goalkeeper, “Vozinha”, was lauded for his man-of-the-match performance in the Blue Sharks’ goalless draw opener.
A few days later, Kevin Pina became the latest Cape Verdean to etch his name into the record books by scoring his country’s first-ever World Cup goal with an unbelievable 32-metre direct free-kick. The debutants fought hard to hold two-time world champions Uruguay to a 2-2 draw in Miami. The draw ensured that the Blue Sharks became the first debutant country to remain undefeated in their opening two matches.
Cape Verde is now a Saudi Arabia victory away from qualifying for the Round of 32.
What the Elephants Need to Survive.
Like the Blue Sharks, the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire put smiles on faces on the continent when they became the first African nation to secure a win at the FIFA 2026 World Cup!
Amad Diallo’s clinical last-minute strike ended Ecuador’s 19-game unbeaten run and secured Côte d’Ivoire’s first World Cup win in 12 years.
Unfortunately, Emerse Faé’s team could not maintain their winning momentum in their next game against Germany.
When Franck Kessié scored in the 30th minute, a major upset seemed to be lurking on the horizon. Emerse Faé executed a brilliant tactical game plan that completely locked down the midfield and neutralised German stars like Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala.
The introduction of Deniz Undav was one of the worst things to have happened to Emerse Faé’s side. The VfB Stuttgart star scored in the 68th minute to equalise for the Germans and deep into stoppage time to cruelly snatch all three points from the 2024 AFCON champions. Côte d’Ivoire must beat Curaçao in their last group match to keep their World Cup dreams alive!
