Nigeria and Cape Verde Have a Common Bond in World Cup Heritage

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Cape Verde have joined Nigeria’s Super Eagles as the only African nations to have scored more than one goal in a World Cup match against Argentina, after their thrilling 3-2 extra-time defeat to the two-time world champions in the round of 32 of the ongoing 2026 tournament in Miami, with the West African nation still holding the distinction of being the only African side to have done so against a reigning champion.

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Cape Verde, appearing at their maiden World Cup, became the first African nation in the competition’s history to score more than one goal in a match against a defending champion, twice pulling level with Lionel Messi’s Argentina before eventually bowing out. Deroy Duarte’s 59th-minute strike cancelled out Messi’s opener to send the match into extra time, before Sidny Lopes Cabral’s curling effort in the 103rd minute wiped out Lisandro Martinez’s early extra-time goal, only for Cristian Romero’s header, which deflected in off defender Diney Borges, to break the Blue Sharks’ hearts in the 111th minute and send Argentina through to the last sixteen.

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In doing so, Cape Verde also became only the second African country to score two or more goals in a World Cup match against Argentina, after Nigeria achieved the feat at the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

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The Super Eagles’ own piece of history against the South Americans came in their final Group F match at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre on June 25, 2014, when Ahmed Musa scored twice in a pulsating 3-2 defeat that nonetheless was enough to send Nigeria into the World Cup knockout stages for the first time since 1998.

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Messi had given Argentina an early lead inside three minutes, only for Musa to level almost immediately with a curling effort from Michael Babatunde’s pass, in what was Nigeria’s fastest-ever response to a goal at a World Cup.

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Messi restored Argentina’s lead with a stunning free-kick just before half-time, before Musa struck again two minutes into the second half, combining with Emmanuel Emenike to level the match for a second time. Marcos Rojo eventually settled the contest with a close-range finish from a corner three minutes later, sealing a 3-2 win for the Albiceleste, who progressed as group winners while Nigeria advanced as runners-up.

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Musa’s brace that day earned him the Man of The Match award ahead of Messi, and the Argentine great later described the Nigerian forward as one of the finest players he had faced, a comment that resurfaced in football circles years after the encounter.

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Twelve years on, Cape Verde’s own defiant showing against Argentina, coming off the back of impressive draws with Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in the group stage, has drawn comparisons to Nigeria’s 2014 heroics, with both nations standing as the only African sides to have scored twice or more in a World Cup meeting with the South American giants.

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