Steven Moreira’s Cape Verde tops AFCON group

The Blue Sharks, along with Columbus' Defender of the Year, have secured the top spot in Group B of the African Cup of Nations with a game to spare after a win against Mozambique on Friday morning. Cape Verde currently sits comfortably at six points, with Egypt trailing behind in second with just two points. This means that even if Moreira's team loses to the Egyptians, the Islanders will still maintain a point buffer between them. Now onto how the game went down.

The two nations were eager to score early, playing with high energy. In the 24th minute, Bebe attempted a free-kick from what appeared to be over 30 yards out but was denied by the crossbar. After a hydration break, Bebe had another free-kick, this time from an even greater distance, and successfully beat the keeper, opening the score at 1-0 in the 32nd minute. Possibly the goal of the tournament.

In the second half, Mozambique attempted a comeback, but Dove's mistake in the 51st minute led to Ryan Mendes scoring, making it 2-0. In the 70th minute, Kevin Pina netted a fantastic goal, extending the lead to 3-0. Cape Verde dominated the game and, with six points, became the first team to advance to the next round in this year's edition of the African Cup of Nations.

Up next for Moreira is the third and final group game against Egypt, but it will serve as nothing more than a test for the Islanders since they are guaranteed to top the group after creating a four-point gap on the runners-up. Rotation might be on Cape Verde’s head coach's mind. Steven Moreira was substituted off at the 75th-minute mark, suggesting that rotation might have already been on Bubista's mind.