WAFCON 2026 Results: Mali Defeat Cape Verde 3-2 to Keep Knockout Hopes Alive
Mali’s Female Eagles secured their first points of the tournament with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Cape Verde at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium.
The thrilling encounter featured relentless attacking football from both sides as the Cape Verdean debutants fought back bravely twice before ultimately falling to a late winner.
This vital triumph successfully revives Mali’s knockout stage ambitions, while a heartbroken Blue Sharks side remains rooted to the bottom of the table without a point.
The match exploded into life in the 29th minute when Malian forward Oumou Koné clinical finished a precise pass from Aïssata Traoré to open the scoring.
Cape Verde answered back before the interval when Evy Pereira capitalized on a defensive opening to level the match at 1-0.
Following a frantic second-half exchange that saw both nations trade goals, Mali successfully unpicked the Cape Verdean backline deep in the closing stages to secure the decisive five-goal to
