Cape Verde will host Mauritania at the Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match on Tuesday.
The hosts are seeking their first points in this campaign, while the visitors aim to build on their opening-round victory.
Match preview
© Reuters
Cape Verde's quest for a fifth AFCON appearance got off to a poor start, as they were thrashed 3-0 at the Cairo International Stadium last Friday.
The Blue Sharks had kept five clean sheets in their last six matches across all competitions prior to the clash against the Pharaohs, but their defence fell like a pack of cards as they allowed eight shots on target with three going into the net.
Bubista's men are looking to make history by sealing a third consecutive AFCON appearance for the West African Island nation, but they will have to bounce back against Mauritania or else the prospect of that might gradually slip away.
All three previous meetings between both sides have come on neutral grounds and during championships – the most recent meeting between them ended with Cape Verde securing a 1-0 victory during the 2023 AFCON earlier this year.
The Blue Sharks are unbeaten in their last four matches on home soil, winning three and drawing one, and anything short of victory on Tuesday could make qualification more difficult.
© Imago
Mauritania finally ended a run of five matches without a win when Sidi Bouna Amar came off the bench to score a stunner in the 84th minute, helping them secure a 1-0 victory over Botswana in their opening AFCON qualifying match.
The Lions of Chinguetti have endured a poor 2024 and the win would be a sigh of relief for Amir Abdou who saw his side lose six matches and draw two of the previous nine prior to last Saturday.
It was also the end of a five-match streak without a goal for Mauritania, who will head into Tuesday's clash with a chance of scoring and winning in back-to-back matches for the first time since they did so between September and October 2023.
However, the last time the visitors won on the road was against Central African Republic in June 2023 – since then they have lost to Congo DR and drawn with South Sudan away from home.
Team News
© Reuters
Cape Verde played a front three of Dailon Livramento, Ryan Mendes, and Willy Semedo last time out, and they could retain this attack despite failing to score.
A back four of Roberto Lopes, Logan Costa, Steven Moreira, and Joao Paulo Fernandes could also start once again.
For Mauritania, Bouna Amar is in contention for a starting place after scoring the winner last time out when he came on for Idrissa Thiam.
Souleymane Anne led the line in the previous match, and the 26-year-old is expected to start up front once again.
Cape Verde possible starting lineup:
Varela; Fernandes, Costa, Lopes, Moreira; Duarte, Andrade, Pina; Livramento, Mendes, Semedo
Mauritania possible starting lineup:
Niasse; Diaw, El Abd, L Ba, Houeibib, Diaw; Ngom; Thiam, Mahmoud, Moushine, Koita; Anne
We say: Cape Verde 1-0 Mauritania
Cape Verde are slight favourites heading into this clash as a result of their home form and Mauritania's struggles this year - while the Blue Sharks lost woefully in their last game, the level of opposition they faced was on a different stratosphere, and is no indication of their quality as a team.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
