Cape Verde Islands reach African Nations knockouts

MASSIVE underdogs Cape Verde Islands scored two late goals to snatch a dramatic 2-1 win over Angola and qualify for the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium yesterday.

A header by Gege after 82 minutes and a strike by substitute Heldon in the first minute of stoppage time gave the islanders the most unlikely of wins and put them into the last eight after South Africa drew 2-2 with Morocco in the other Group A match in Durban.

Angola had taken the lead when Nando deflected the ball into his own net after 33 minutes, but even though Angola were winning for much of the match, they looked like being eliminated while Morocco were beating South Africa. Late goals in both games changed everything in the final minutes as Cape Verde clinched their place in the last eight to take second place in the group behind South Africa. Morocco finished third and Angola fourth.

South Africa were in trouble when they fell behind to a goal by Morocco’s Issam El Adoua but May Mahlangu lifted the 50,000 crowd at the Moses Mabhida Stadium when he curled in the equaliser from the edge of the area in the 71st minute. Morocco reclaimed the lead with eight minutes to go through Abdelilah Hafid but Sangweni rescued South Africa with an equaliser four minutes later.