Soccer
Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh. Photo by IMAGO/Moritz Müller
Former Super Eagles captain and coach Sunday Oliseh has named Cape Verde as the African team that has impressed him the most at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
In picking the small West African nation, Oliseh effectively overlooks the performances of Morocco, Ghana and several other representatives from the continent.
Africa has a record 10 teams competing at the expanded 2026 World Cup tournament, and the continent has already produced a number of eye-catching results. Ghana and Ivory Coast recorded victories over Panama and Ecuador, respectively. Morocco earned a notable draw against Brazil, DR Congo held Portugal to a 1-1 draw, Egypt shared the spoils with Belgium, while Cape Verde stunned the football world by holding Spain to a goalless draw. South Africa, Algeria, Senegal and Tunisia, however, suffered defeats in their opening matches.
Among all those results, Oliseh believes Cape Verde’s achievement against Spain stands above the rest. Speaking on his Insights with Oliseh podcast, the former Ajax midfielder could not hide his admiration for the tournament debutants.
“What nation has impressed me the most? For me, I have totally become a Cape Verde fan,” Oliseh said.
“I’m even thinking of buying a ticket to go and visit the country once. Because the way they play, the organisation, this is no joke. This is something that has been worked upon. What I had felt when I went to the AFCON was that they intentionally did not come to the AFCON.
“This is a country with 600,000 people as population and the goalkeeper who has now become a hero, 40 years old. So if you look at Cape Verde, they have really impressed because they played against the best, the most organised team at the World Cup, Spain.
“And they brought out everything African. They played aggressive, they used their physique, and they committed very few fouls. Which is most impressive. And the manager of course is home-based. So, nothing sweets me better than this.”
Soccer Historic draw against Spain wins Super Eagles legend’s admiration
Cape Verde produced one of the biggest shocks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 15 at Atlanta Stadium, frustrating reigning European champions Spain in a historic 0-0 draw in Group H.
Ranked 67th in the world and appearing at their first-ever World Cup, the small West African nation stood firm against a Spanish side that dominated possession and created numerous chances.
Spain controlled 74 per cent of the ball and attempted 23 shots, eight of them on target. Ferran Torres hit the crossbar in the 39th minute before Mikel Oyarzabal’s follow-up header was brilliantly saved. Just before half-time, veteran goalkeeper Vozinha again came to Cape Verde’s rescue by denying Aymeric Laporte.
Spain increased the pressure after the break, with coach Luis de la Fuente introducing teenage stars Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams. Yamal completed several dangerous dribbles and injected pace into the attack, but Cape Verde’s disciplined defensive structure remained intact.
The African side almost completed an even greater upset in stoppage time when defender Diney Borges met a corner kick and forced Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón into a crucial save.
At the centre of the heroic performance was 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha. The veteran shot-stopper delivered a string of outstanding saves and emerged as the symbol of Cape Verde’s resistance. Defender Pico Lopes was equally important, producing a remarkable late block to deny Oyarzabal in the closing stages.
The result ensured Cape Verde became only the seventh nation in World Cup history to avoid defeat in its first-ever match at the tournament, a feat that left Oliseh convinced that the Blue Sharks have been Africa’s standout team so far in the competition.
Imhonlamhen
Imhonlamhen is a football writer and editor at Soccernet.ng with over six years’ experience shaping its editorial voice. A lifelong Arsenal and Super Eagles fan, he combines engineering precision with training in journalism and digital media. He has covered four AFCONs and two Women’s AFCON tournaments, specialising in Super Eagles history and tracking Nigerian players worldwide, while keeping a close eye on the NPFL and emerging homegrown talents.
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