Cape Verde missed the chance to seal a first-ever qualification for the Fifa World Cup despite fighting back from 3-1 down to claim a 3-3 draw away against Libya in a thrilling contest.
The Blue Sharks knew that claiming all three points in Tripoli would have booked their place at the 2026 finals and made the Atlantic Ocean archipelago the second-smallest nation to appear at the tournament.
Cape Verde have a second chance to qualify on Monday when they host Eswatini.
Libya required victory to keep their own dreams alive, and the hosts went ahead inside 46 seconds as Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes put Fadel Mansour’s cross into his own net.
Telmo Arcanjo headed an equaliser on the half-hour mark before Ezoo El Mariamy restored Libya’s lead three minutes before the break when he converted a rebound.
And Cape Verde’s hopes of qualifying from Group D with a game to spare appeared to be over when Mahmoud Al Shalwi netted an incredible long-range free-kick off the underside of the crossbar to make it 3-1 in the 58th minute.
The Mediterranean Knights came close to adding to their tally as Saif Jaddour and El Mariamy hit the woodwork and Mohammed Soulah was denied by Blue Sharks goalkeeper Vozinha.
But Cape Verde were gifted a way back into the contest with 14 minutes remaining when a lapse in concentration from keeper Murad Al Wuheeshi allowed Sidny Cabral’s hopeful long ball into the box to dribble through his legs and into the net.
