Cape Verde will make their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations debut in Group D, where they face Ghana, Mali and Cameroon. Their campaign begins with a Group D opener against Ghana on Tuesday at 17:00 GMT, before matches against Mali and Cameroon.
The side only played their first match in 2018 and did not enter qualifiers for the 2020 Wafcon, which was cancelled due to Covid-19, nor the 2022 finals. Ranked 120th in the world, they are among the four lowest-ranked sides at the tournament. Despite that, forward Sandra Martins — who has scored four goals in 17 appearances this season for London Bees in England’s fourth tier — is setting clear targets for the squad.
“I think we would do well, probably better than what people would think as new participants,” Martins told BBC Sport Africa. “We are aiming to win two games and possibly go into the quarter-finals. I think if everyone applies themselves and we really work together, we could stand a chance of going to the next stage.”
The 26-year-old also suggested the tournament’s rescheduling, which drew criticism from various quarters, may have worked in Cape Verde’s favour. “I think it was actually a blessing in disguise,” she said. “We recently played twice against Ivory Coast in friendlies and these two games were really useful for us. We worked on a few different things, had a few new team-mates and they blended super well into the team. Spending the extra time together has really allowed us to understand each other more on the pitch.” The Confederation of African Football said the rescheduling decision was taken to “ensure the success” of the tournament.
Beyond continental glory, qualification for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup is also at stake. The four semi-finalists will book their places in Brazil, while the four losing quarter-finalists will contest a play-off in Morocco for two spots at an intercontinental qualifier.
Image credit: BBC Sport / BBC Sport
