The Cape Verdean government will grant time off on Monday afternoon to allow public employees on the island of Santiago to watch the national football team’s match against Eswatini, which is part of the qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
“On the 13th, for the match against Eswatini, the government grants time off in Santiago starting at 12:00 PM (2:00 PM in mainland Portugal), so that our team receives the greatest support ever,” announced Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva on his official Facebook page.
Cape Verde drew 3-3 in Libya this Wednesday, delaying their unprecedented qualification for the World Cup, but they will have another chance to make history when they host Eswatini on Monday in the final round of African Group D qualifying.
Cape Verde remains in the lead of Group D and only needs to win in the 10th round against the bottom team Eswatini to secure direct qualification for the World Cup.
The 23rd edition of the World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will feature, for the first time, 48 teams in a unique tripartite organization among the United States, Mexico, and Canada, all of which are automatically qualified as hosts.
