In a thrilling encounter at the Stade Felicien in Abidjan on Monday 29th January, Cape Verde secured a dramatic victory over Mauritania, booking their spot in the last eight of the AFCON 2023 tournament. The match was filled with edge-of-the-seat moments, culminating in a nail-biting finish that left fans gasping for breath.Cape Verde’s Steven Moreira made an early statement with a daring solo run from deep in the box in the 23rd minute. However, his efforts were thwarted as his shot was deflected, resulting in a fruitless corner.Mauritania faced an early setback in the 34th minute when Omare Gassama succumbed to injury, forcing him to be replaced by Fofana Gussouma. Despite this disruption, both teams continued to battle fiercely, with action after halftime remaining largely balanced.Tuesday AFCON fixtures 20:00: (2.30) Mali (3.10) Burkina Faso (3.40)23:00: (1.62) Morocco (3.50) S.Africa (6.50)The 60th minute saw Mauritania’s Bodda Mousine, the team’s captain, come agonizingly close to breaking the deadlock with a powerful free-kick from the edge of the box, narrowly missing the target by inches. Moments later, El Hassan of Mauritania squandered a golden opportunity, sending his shot wide from inside the box after an impressive build-up orchestrated by Sidi Bouna Amar.In the 88th minute, Cape Verde seized a pivotal moment when they were awarded a penalty after Mauritania’s keeper, Niasse Babacar, fouled Tiago Manuel inside the box. With the weight of expectation on his shoulders, Ryan Mendes stepped up and calmly converted the penalty, sending the Cape Verdean fans into raptures of joy.Despite Mauritania’s valiant effort, it was Cape Verde who emerged triumphant and will now face the winner of the Morocco versus South Africa game set for tomorrow.AFCON 2023: War of words sets stage for Morocco vs South Africa clash
