Cape Verde national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cape Verde

Nickname(s)	Tubarões Azuis (Blue Sharks) Crioulos (Creoles)
Association	Federação Caboverdiana de Futebol (FCF)
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	WAFU (West Africa)
Head coach	Bubista
Captain	Ryan Mendes
Most caps	Ryan Mendes (88)
Top scorer	Ryan Mendes (22)
Home stadium	Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
FIFA code	CPV
First colours Second colours Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current	74 2 (7 February 2019)
Highest	27 (February 2014)
Lowest	182 (April 2000)
Elo ranking
Current	104 6 (3 March 2019)
Highest	69 (31 March 2015)
Lowest	146 (August 1998)
First international
Cape Verde 0–1 Guinea  (Guinea-Bissau; 19 April 1978)
Biggest win
Cape Verde 7–1 São Tomé and Príncipe  (Praia, Cape Verde; 13 June 2015)  Liechtenstein 0–6 Cape Verde  (San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain; 25 March 2022)
Biggest defeat
Senegal 5–1 Cape Verde  (Mali; 12 February 1981)  Cape Verde 0–4 Ghana  (Praia, Cape Verde; 8 October 2005)  Guinea 4–0 Cape Verde  (Conakry, Guinea; 9 September 2007)  Burkina Faso 4–0 Cape Verde  (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 14 November 2017)  Algeria 5–1 Cape Verde  (Constantine, Algeria; 12 October 2023)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	4 (first in 2013)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2013, 2023)

The Cape Verde national football team is also known as Tubarões Azuis (Blue Sharks). This team represents the country of Cape Verde in men's international football games. The Cape Verdean Football Federation manages the team.

Cape Verde has never played in the FIFA World Cup. However, they have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations four times. These tournaments were in 2013, 2015, 2021, and 2023. Their best result was reaching the quarter-finals in both 2013 and 2023.

Team History

How the Team Started

Cape Verde became an independent country from Portugal in 1975. The national football team played its first international match on May 29, 1978. They lost 1–0 to Guinea in a tournament in Guinea-Bissau.

The Cape Verdean Football Federation was created in 1982. It then joined FIFA in 1986.

Many players for the national team come from Cape Verdean families living abroad. These players often live in Europe or Asia. Some were even born outside Cape Verde.

Some famous footballers with Cape Verdean roots chose to play for other countries. For example, Nani and Patrick Vieira played for Portugal and France, respectively.

World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations Journeys

Cape Verde has never made it to the FIFA World Cup. Their first World Cup qualifying attempt was for the 2002 World Cup. They were eliminated early after one draw and one loss against Algeria.

For the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Cape Verde won their first World Cup qualifying match against Swaziland. They even won an away game against Burkina Faso. However, they did not qualify for the main tournament.

In the qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Cape Verde finished second in their group. They were behind Cameroon and did not move to the next round.

Africa Cup of Nations 2013

On October 14, 2012, Cape Verde made history. They qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations for the very first time. They beat Cameroon with a total score of 3–2 over two games. They won 2–0 at home in Praia and lost 2–1 away in Yaoundé.

Cape Verde was placed in Group A for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. They played against Angola, Morocco, and host nation South Africa. Cape Verde played the first match of the tournament against South Africa.

They drew 0–0 with South Africa in their first game. Then, they drew 1–1 with Morocco. Platini scored Cape Verde's first goal ever in the AFCON. They won their first AFCON match against Angola by a score of 2–1. Late goals from Fernando Varela and Héldon Ramos secured the win. This victory helped them reach the quarter-finals in their first appearance.

In the quarter-finals, Cape Verde played Ghana on February 2, 2013. Cape Verde played well and had more shots on goal. But Ghana's goalkeeper made great saves. Ghana won 2–0, ending Cape Verde's amazing run in the tournament.

Africa Cup of Nations 2015

On October 15, 2014, Cape Verde was one of the first teams to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. They beat Mozambique 1–0 at home. The team, led by new coach Rui Águas, finished first in their group.

In the main tournament, Cape Verde was in Group B with Zambia, Tunisia, and DR Congo. Their first match against Tunisia ended in a 1–1 draw. Héldon scored a penalty kick to tie the game. They then drew 0–0 against DR Congo.

Their final group match against Zambia also ended in a 0–0 draw. Cape Verde was eliminated from the tournament. They finished tied with DR Congo in points but lost on goal difference. Even though they didn't lose any games in the group stage, they only scored one goal.

Africa Cup of Nations 2023

Cape Verde qualified for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. They started strong by beating Ghana 2–1. Garry Rodrigues scored the winning goal in stoppage time. They then had a great 3–0 win against Mozambique.

In their last group game against Egypt, Bryan Teixeira scored a goal in the 99th minute. This goal secured a 2–2 draw. Cape Verde finished as group leaders and moved to the knockout stage.

In the Round of 16, Cape Verde faced Mauritania. Captain Ryan Mendes scored a penalty in the 88th minute, sending the team to the quarter-finals. In the quarter-finals, they played South Africa. The game ended in a 0–0 draw, leading to a penalty shootout. Cape Verde lost 1–2 on penalties and was knocked out.

Other Achievements

Two players playing for the national football team of Cabo Verde

Cape Verde has won two titles. They hosted and won the Amílcar Cabral Cup in 2000. They also won the gold medal in football at the 2009 Lusophony Games. The team also earned a bronze medal at the 2006 Lusophony Games.

The team has played friendly matches against non-African teams. On November 2, 2002, they drew 0–0 with Luxembourg. On May 24, 2010, they drew 0–0 with Portugal. At that time, Portugal was ranked much higher than Cape Verde. On March 31, 2015, Cape Verde surprisingly beat Portugal 2–0.

Home Stadiums

The team used to play their home games at Estádio da Várzea. This stadium is in the capital city, Praia. It opened in 2006 and can hold 10,000 people.

In 2014, the new Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde opened. It can hold 15,000 people. On October 15, 2014, the team qualified for their second Africa Cup of Nations at this new stadium. They beat Mozambique 1–0. This made them the first team in Africa to qualify for that tournament.

Recent Matches

Here are some of the recent match results for the Cape Verde national football team.

      Win       Draw       Loss

2024 Matches

• September 6: Cape Verde lost 3–0 to Egypt in an AFCON qualifier.
• September 10: Cape Verde won 2–0 against Mauritania in an AFCON qualifier. Ryan Mendes scored both goals.
• October 10: Cape Verde lost 0–1 to Botswana in an AFCON qualifier.
• October 15: Cape Verde lost 0–1 to Botswana in an AFCON qualifier.
• November 15: Cape Verde drew 1–1 with Egypt in an AFCON qualifier. Ryan Mendes scored for Cape Verde.
• November 19: Cape Verde lost 0–1 to Mauritania in an AFCON qualifier.

2025 Matches

• March 20: Cape Verde won 1–0 against Mauritius in a World Cup qualifier. Yannick Semedo scored.
• March 25: Cape Verde won 2–1 against Angola in a World Cup qualifier. Dailon Livramento scored twice.
• May 29: Cape Verde drew 1–1 with Malaysia in a friendly match.
• June 3: Cape Verde won 3–0 against Malaysia in a friendly match. Dailon Livramento scored two goals.
• June 8: Cape Verde drew 1–1 with Georgia in a friendly match. Ryan Mendes scored.

Coaches of the Team

Many different coaches have led the Cape Verde national football team over the years.

• Carlos Alhinho (1985–1986)
• Óscar (1998–2003)
• Alexandre Alhinho (2003–2006)
• Ze Rui (2006)
• Ricardo da Rocha (2007)
• João de Deus (2008–2010)
• Lúcio Antunes (2010–2013)
• Rui Águas (2014–2016)
• Beto (2016)
• Lúcio Antunes (2016–2018)
• Rui Águas (2018–2019)
• Janito Carvalho (2019–2020)
• Bubista (2020–present)

Team Players

Current Squad

These players were chosen for recent matches in May and June 2025.
Numbers show how many games they played (caps) and goals they scored, as of June 8, 2025.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Vozinha	(1986-06-03) 3 June 1986 (age 39)	79	0	Chaves
12	1GK	Márcio Rosa	(1997-02-23) 23 February 1997 (age 28)	9	0	Hebar Pazardzhik
22	1GK	Henrique Tavares	(2002-07-29) 29 July 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Rousset
2	2DF	Wagner Pina	(2002-11-03) 3 November 2002 (age 22)	9	0	Trabzonspor
3	2DF	Diney	(1995-01-17) 17 January 1995 (age 30)	22	1	Al Bataeh
4	2DF	Bruno Almeida	(2000-07-02) 2 July 2000 (age 25)	1	0	Atlético
5	2DF	Kristopher Da Graca	(1998-01-16) 16 January 1998 (age 27)	3	0	Schaffhausen
8	2DF	João Paulo Fernandes	(1998-05-26) 26 May 1998 (age 27)	32	1	Sheriff Tiraspol
15	2DF	David Moreira	(2004-04-18) 18 April 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Sporting U23
16	2DF	Sidny Lopes Cabral	(2003-09-18) 18 September 2003 (age 21)	3	1	Viktoria Köln
25	2DF	Jójó	(2001-05-19) 19 May 2001 (age 24)	4	0	Vizela
	2DF	Logan Costa	(2001-04-01) 1 April 2001 (age 24)	26	0	Villarreal
	2DF	Steven Moreira	(1994-08-13) 13 August 1994 (age 31)	13	0	Columbus Crew
	2DF	Yuran Fernandes	(1994-10-19) 19 October 1994 (age 30)	1	0	PSM Makassar
	2DF	Rivaldo Morais	(2000-09-18) 18 September 2000 (age 24)	1	0	Farense
	2DF	Ricardo Santos	(1995-06-18) 18 June 1995 (age 30)	1	0	Bolton Wanderers
10	3MF	Jamiro Monteiro	(1993-11-23) 23 November 1993 (age 31)	47	5	PEC Zwolle
13	3MF	Aílson Tavares	(1998-07-20) 20 July 1998 (age 27)	2	0	Felgueiras
14	3MF	Deroy Duarte	(1999-07-04) 4 July 1999 (age 26)	25	0	Ludogorets Razgrad
17	3MF	Fabrício Garcia	(2001-05-04) 4 May 2001 (age 24)	6	0	Estoril
	3MF	Kevin Pina	(1997-01-27) 27 January 1997 (age 28)	22	2	Krasnodar
	3MF	Laros Duarte	(1997-02-28) 28 February 1997 (age 28)	5	0	Puskás Akadémia
	3MF	Yannick Semedo	(1995-12-29) 29 December 1995 (age 29)	4	1	Vizela
	3MF	Stéphane Cueni	(2001-03-14) 14 March 2001 (age 24)	2	0	Winterthur
	3MF	Elson Mendes	(2005-09-18) 18 September 2005 (age 19)	2	0	Sochaux
	3MF	Jordan Semedo	(2003-01-15) 15 January 2003 (age 22)	2	0	Slavia Sofia
	3MF	David Costa	(2004-01-12) 12 January 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Torreense
	3MF	Ilano Timas	(2002-09-29) 29 September 2002 (age 22)	1	0	MVV
	3MF	Sidnei Tavares	(2001-09-29) 29 September 2001 (age 23)	0	0	Blackburn Rovers
7	4FW	Jovane Cabral	(1998-06-14) 14 June 1998 (age 27)	22	1	Estrela Amadora
9	4FW	Dailon Livramento	(2001-05-04) 4 May 2001 (age 24)	14	4	Hellas Verona
11	4FW	Garry Rodrigues	(1990-11-27) 27 November 1990 (age 34)	52	8	Apollon Limassol
18	4FW	Willy Semedo	(1994-04-27) 27 April 1994 (age 31)	29	0	Omonia
20	4FW	Ryan Mendes (captain)	(1990-01-08) 8 January 1990 (age 35)	84	22	Kocaelispor
23	4FW	Heriberto Tavares	(1997-02-19) 19 February 1997 (age 28)	3	1	Maccabi Netanya
	4FW	Benchimol	(2001-12-29) 29 December 2001 (age 23)	21	5	Akron Tolyatti
	4FW	Bryan Teixeira	(2000-09-01) 1 September 2000 (age 24)	6	1	1. FC Magdeburg
	4FW	Duk	(2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 (age 25)	6	0	Leganés
	4FW	Alvin Fortes	(1994-04-25) 25 April 1994 (age 31)	2	0	Selangor
	4FW	Ruben Pina	(2000-01-20) 20 January 2000 (age 25)	2	0	Chaves

Players Called Up Recently

These players have been called up for Cape Verde in the last 12 months. They are still able to play for the team.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Bruno Varela	(1994-11-04) 4 November 1994 (age 30)	7	0	Vitória Guimaraes	v.  Angola, 25 March 2025
GK	Dylan Silva	(1999-02-10) 10 February 1999 (age 26)	0	0	Unattached	v.  Botswana, 15 October 2024
DF	Pico	(1992-06-17) 17 June 1992 (age 33)	37	0	Shamrock Rovers	v.  Angola, 25 March 2025
DF	Dylan Tavares	(1996-08-30) 30 August 1996 (age 28)	20	1	Bastia	v.  Mauritania, 19 November 2024
DF	Kelvin Pires	(2000-06-05) 5 June 2000 (age 25)	2	0	SJK	v.  Mauritania, 19 November 2024
MF	Telmo Arcanjo	(2001-06-21) 21 June 2001 (age 24)	8	0	Vitoria	v.  Angola, 25 March 2025
MF	David Tavares	(1999-03-18) 18 March 1999 (age 26)	5	0	Gloria Buzău	v.  Angola, 25 March 2025
MF	Patrick Andrade	(1993-02-09) 9 February 1993 (age 32)	28	0	Qarabağ	v.  Mauritania, 19 November 2024
MF	Diogo Mendes	(1998-01-24) 24 January 1998 (age 27)	4	0	Rapid București	v.  Mauritania, 10 September 2024
FW	Hélio Varela	(2002-05-03) 3 May 2002 (age 23)	16	0	Gent	v.  Angola, 25 March 2025
FW	Alessio da Cruz	(1997-01-18) 18 January 1997 (age 28)	3	0	Fortuna Sittard	v.  Angola, 25 March 2025
FW	Bebé	(1990-07-12) 12 July 1990 (age 35)	26	5	Ibiza	v.  Mauritania, 19 November 2024
FW	Lisandro Semedo	(1996-03-12) 12 March 1996 (age 29)	19	2	Wieczysta Kraków	v.  Mauritania, 10 September 2024
FW	Patrick Fernandes	(1993-12-13) 13 December 1993 (age 31)	4	0	Torreense	v.  Mauritania, 10 September 2024
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue. INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury. PRE Preliminary squad. RET Player has retired from international football. SUS Suspended from the national team.

Team Records

Most Games Played

Ryan Mendes is Cape Verde's top goalscorer and their most capped player.

This table shows the players who have played the most games for Cape Verde. Players in bold are still active.

Top Goal Scorers

This table shows the players who have scored the most goals for Cape Verde. Players in bold are still active.

Team Achievements

Regional Cups

• Amílcar Cabral Cup
  • Champions (1): 2000
  • Runners-up (1): 2007
  • Third place (1): 1995

Other Competitions

• Lusophony Games
  • Gold medal (1): 2009
  • Bronze medal (1): 2006

Friendly Tournaments

• FIFA Series: Saudi Arabia
  • Champions (1): 2024

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Cabo Verde para niños