The Cape Verdean national soccer selection beat Zimbabwe by two to one this Saturday afternoon in Praia’s Várzea Stadium, but nevertheless failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, as Mali and Liberia, the other two selections in Group 1 in the qualifiers, tied 2-2, keeping Mali at the head of the group.

The match, the last in the qualifier tournament, was an all-or-nothing affair, and Cape Verde quickly began to show its dominance in the game. Just four minutes into the match, Valdo took advantage of a pass from Odair and scored the first goal. 30-year-old Valdo could not have hoped for a better debut on the national soccer team. Nine minutes later, Ryan brought the scoreboard to 2-0, taking advantage of a distraction on the part of Zimbabwe’s defense.

Following the two early goals, Cape Verde managed to set up various other opportunities, but was unable to provide fans with a more comfortable lead, as Zimbabwe rushed to catch up. As a result, the second half of the game was long and anxiety-provoking. Zimbabwe kept the pressure on and managed to set up several shots, but, luckily for Cape Verde, goalie Ernesto was having a particularly inspired afternoon and managed to keep practically everything out. The only shot that managed to get past him was made by Musona, who brought the score to 1-2 at 66 minutes. The game became even more emotional from that point forward, despite the fact that the score remained the same until the end.

At the end of the game, a rumor that Mali had lost to Liberia, a result that would have automatically qualified Cape Verde for the Africa Cup of Nations, ran through those present at the stadium, who exploded with joy. Minutes later, however, the game’s actual result – a 2-2 tie between Mali and Liberia – threw a bucket of cold water on the enthusiasm.