Cape Verde, logical winner of Mauritania 1-0, ensured its presence in the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) at the end of a hotly contested meeting on Monday in Abidjan.
The Cape Verdean victory took a long time to emerge: the Blue Sharks, who had made a strong impression during the group stage with victories over Ghana (2-1) and Mozambique (3-0) and a draw against the Egypt (2-2), had to wait until the 88th minute to make the difference.
It was captain Ryan Mendes who sent his team to the quarter-finals with a penalty stupidly conceded by the Mauritanian defense.
In the quarter-finals, the Islanders will face the winner of the clash between Morocco and South Africa, opposed on Tuesday.