While Malawi grabbed headlines a day earlier with a stunning upset of defending champions Nigeria, Cape Verde’s own bid for a WAFCON fairy tale ended quietly on Wednesday, as the tiny island nation fell 2-0 to Ghana in their tournament opener in Casablanca.
The contrast between the two debutant nations’ fortunes could hardly have been sharper. Malawi, the lowest-ranked side among the 16 title contenders, had shocked Nigeria 3-2 on Tuesday behind a three-goal haul from sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga. Cape Verde, ranked 60 places below Ghana, had hoped to author a similar story, one that might echo the run of their men’s national team at the recent World Cup, where they pushed Argentina all the way to extra time before eventually falling.
That ambition, representing an archipelago nation of just over 500,000 people, met resistance almost immediately. Ghana broke through in the seventh minute when Doris Boaduwaa found the net, setting the tone for a match in which Ghana largely dictated the pace from kickoff. Boaduwaa, a 23-year-old striker who plays her club football for Hapoel Jerusalem, was a persistent threat throughout the first half, dangerous both on the ground and in the air, and could easily have completed a hat-trick before the break given the chances that came her way.
Cape Verde’s deficit doubled just after the hour mark, though not through any further individual brilliance from Ghana. In the 54th minute, a cross deflected off defender Eleia Vieira and past goalkeeper Jacinta Rodrigues for an own goal, compounding the islanders’ difficulties. Rodrigues, however, was arguably Cape Verde’s standout performer on the day, repeatedly called into action and using her agility to prevent the scoreline from ballooning further out of reach.
Cape Verde’s best opportunity to get on the scoresheet came after they had already fallen two goals behind, when Ivania Moreira attempted an ambitious strike from near the center circle that tested Ghana goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan, who was equal to the effort. Any hope of a late comeback, however, was extinguished in stoppage time when Kleydiana Borges was shown a straight red card following a VAR review for a foul on Linda Ansah, leaving Cape Verde to finish the match with ten players.
