Mauritania outdid themselves to secure a 1-0 win against Cape Verde on Tuesday at the Stade Cheikha Ould Boïdiya through a first-half goal by Mohamed Soueid.
The victory earns Mauritania a record of good end at the AFCON qualifiers, moving them to third position in Group C. Despite the win, the team did not secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON to be held in Morocco.
While both teams failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON, the hard fight was a show of pride between them. Cape Verde, knowing that it has no chance at the AFCON tournament, struggled to make a statement against Mauritania.
Soueid scored a brilliant shot almost at the end of the halftime to prove the superiority between the two sides.
Despite their inability to qualify, Mauritania’s win helped them to finish with a total of seven points, helping them to secure third place in the group against Cape Verde, who sits at the bottom. Cape Verde, who had earlier promised to give their best to secure the AFCON slot, ended up finishing the campaign with only four points.
While Mauritania did not have a good start and their disqualification was not a surprise to viewers, this win boosted their morale, finishing with a win. This win is a testimony to their resilience and determination; giving them home is doing better in their subsequent competitions.
Cape Verde will need to create more time to rebuild itself for subsequent competitions after the disappointing campaign.