January 29, (THEWILL) – A late penalty from Ryan Mendes secured a 1-0 victory for Cape Verde over Mauritania in the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 fixture at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium on Monday evening. The win sees the Blue Sharks match their best-ever AFCON performance by reaching the quarter-finals, while the Lions of Chinguetti bow out after making history as the first Mauritanian side to get out of the group stage.
The Blue Sharks dominated the opening exchanges, with Mendes going close twice in the first 10 minutes. Mauritania grew into the game, with Bodda Mouhsine forcing a good save midway through the half before both teams went into the break locked at 0-0. The second half saw chances at both ends, including a gilt-edged opportunity for Bouna Amar on 57 minutes, but wayward finishing kept the deadlock intact approaching the final 10 minutes.
As the game entered its final stages Cape Verde turned the screw. A handled ball in the area on 86 minutes gifted Mendes the chance to step up and slot home what proved to be the decisive spot-kick. The Blue Sharks held firm through 10 minutes of added time to claim a historic victory.
Cape Verde will now go on to face either Morocco or South Africa in the quarterfinals at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium on February 3. The result caps an impressive AFCON for the Blue Sharks, having advanced from a tricky group containing Angola, Burkina Faso and Algeria. Mauritania can also reflect proudly on their maiden knockout stage appearance.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
