Sat, June 27, 2026
Houston: Cape Verde etched their name into FIFA World Cup history by becoming the smallest nation ever to qualify for the Round of 32. A hard-fought 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia secured second place in Group H, setting up a blockbuster knockout clash with defending champions Argentina.
The Blue Sharks completed the group stage unbeaten with three consecutive draws, finishing on three points—one ahead of two-time world champions Uruguay and 2034 World Cup hosts Saudi Arabia. Their reward is a historic last-32 encounter against Lionel Messi-led Argentina at Miami Stadium on July 3, widely regarded as the biggest match in Cape Verde’s football history.
Cape Verde looked the more threatening side throughout the contest. Willy Semedo tested the Saudi goalkeeper with a sharp effort at the near post before sending another shot narrowly wide, while Kevin Pina came close with a powerful long-range strike early in the second half.
Saudi Arabia's best opportunity arrived late in the match when Laros Duarte broke through the middle, but goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais produced an excellent save to keep his side in contention. Despite the result, Saudi Arabia were eliminated from the tournament.
Cape Verde also became only the third African nation to progress from its debut World Cup group stage without suffering a defeat, following the achievements of Morocco (1986) and both Cameroon and Nigeria in 1998 and 2014.
Elsewhere, Belgium defeated Egypt to top Group G, while Iran and Senegal remain in contention for qualification through second place or as one of the best third-placed teams. South Africa secured second place in Group A and will face Canada in Los Angeles, while South Korea advanced as one of the best third-placed teams.
With the group stage nearing completion, the teams that have qualified for the Round of 32 are Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Morocco, the United States, Australia, Paraguay, Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Belgium, Egypt, Spain, Cape Verde, France, Norway, Senegal, Argentina, Colombia, Portugal, England and Ghana.
The Round of 32 begins on June 28, with Cape Verde’s historic showdown against reigning world champions Argentina among the most anticipated fixtures.
With inputs from IANS
| 14-09-2018 | ||||||
| Sl No. | Parameters | Actual Data(µg/m3) | Standard Limit(µg/m3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PM 10 | 64 | 100 |
| 2 | PM 2.5 | 33 | 60 |
| 3 | SO2 | 55.3 | 80 |
| 4 | NO2 | 58.2 | 80 |
| 14-09-2018 | ||||||
| Station | Temperature(degree centigrade) | Rainfall(mm) | Relative humidity(%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max | Min | Past 24 hrs. | Since 1st March, 2018 | Max | Min | |
| Ranchi | 31.0 | 22.5 | 000.0 | 1010.1 | 95 | 66 |
| Jamshedpur | 34.1 | 26.2 | 000.0 | 1252.8 | 87 | 58 |
| Bokaro | 33.5 | 24.6 | 015.2 | 824.0 | 92 | 79 |
| Daltonganj | 32.6 | 24.9 | 004.2 | 960.9 | 95 | 67 |
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