Former Manchester United forward Bebe scored a stunning free-kick as Cape Verde secured their place in the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-0 win over Mozambique on Friday.

Bebe’s Brilliance

The 33-year-old, who had a brief and unsuccessful spell at Old Trafford in 2010/11, opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a long-range strike that flew past Mozambique goalkeeper Ernan. It was his first goal for his country in his 12th appearance.

Cape Verde, who had beaten Ghana 2-1 in their opening game, doubled their lead six minutes after the break when captain Ryan Mendes dispossessed defender Edmilson Dove and fired home.

Kevin Pina completed the rout in the 69th minute with a superb shot from almost 30 meters that curled into the top corner.

Historic Achievement

The result means that Cape Verde, an island nation of about 550,000 people, are the first team to qualify for the last 16 of the tournament. They top Group B with six points and will face Egypt in their final game on Monday.

This is only the third time that Cape Verde have participated in the AFCON, having reached the quarter-finals in 2013 and 2015. They are coached by former Portugal international Pedro Brito, who took over in 2021.

Mozambique, on the other hand, have yet to win a game in their fifth AFCON appearance. They have one point from two games and will need to beat Ghana in their last match to have any chance of progressing.

What’s next?

Cape Verde will stay in Abidjan for their last 16 match against a third-placed team on January 29. They will hope to continue their impressive form and challenge the more established teams in the continent.

Mozambique will travel to Yamoussoukro to face Ghana on Monday. They will need to improve their defense and attack if they want to avoid another defeat and end their AFCON campaign on a positive note.

Source: Vanguard