Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Cape Verde wrote another chapter in their fairytale debut World Cup campaign on Friday, battling into the knockout rounds for the first time to set up a dream showdown with Lionel Messi’s Argentina. The tiny Atlantic archipelago drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia to clinch second place in Group H and advance to the last 32 where they will face defending champions Argentina at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on July 3.
Cape Verde’s third consecutive draw saw them finish the group with three points, behind European champions Spain who made sure of top spot with a 1-0 defeat of Uruguay. Two-time World Cup-winners Uruguay, who were stunned by Cape Verde in a 2-2 draw last Sunday in their second game, were eliminated from the competition with just two points. The Group H results brought further clarity to the knockout rounds, ensuring that England, Portugal, Ghana, Egypt and Paraguay would also advance.
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Earlier Friday, France lit up the tournament with another dazzling attacking performance, swatting aside Norway 4-1 to clinch top spot in Group I. France’s reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat-trick as Les Bleus maintained their 100 percent start to the tournament at the Gillette Stadium. The pre-match hype had focused on a duel between France striker Kylian Mbappe and Norwegian counterpart Erling Haaland. But that much-anticipated showdown never materialised after Norway opted to leave Manchester City star Haaland on the bench. Instead, it was left to Dembele to grab centre-stage from team-mate Mbappe, scoring three times in the opening 32 minutes to set up the win.
Dembele’s PSG team-mate Desire Doue bagged France’s fourth in stoppage time to complete the scoring. Dembele later played down the significance of his quick-fire hat-trick, turning his attention to the bigger challenges awaiting in the knockout rounds. “It’s a unique and important moment for me but I preferred my performances against Senegal or Iraq,” Dembele said. “I think I was much more influential in those games. I believe we need to stay focused because there are important things ahead.”
Friday’s game had gone ahead against a troubled backdrop for France, with coach Didier Deschamps leaving the team earlier this week following the death of his mother. Both teams meanwhile paid tribute to the victims of the devastating Venezuela earthquake just before kick-off. France will now face Sweden in the last 32, while Norway take on Ivory Coast in Dallas on June 30 for a place in the last 16.
Senegal meanwhile gave themselves a fighting chance of reaching the last 32 with a 5-0 drubbing of Iraq in their final group game, boosting their goal difference to win their first points of the tournament. The west Africans, who have three points, must now wait for the remaining group games elsewhere to play out before learning if they have done enough to squeeze into the knockouts. “Our future is no longer in our own hands,” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said. “We will have to wait and see. But we got the job done.”
Later Friday in Group G, Egypt are aiming to clinch top spot with victory over Iran in Seattle in a game that has been laced with controversy. Friday’s game is part of city-wide events to celebrate Pride in Seattle, and was designated as the “Pride Match” by local officials before the identities of the teams involved was known. Iranian and Egyptian officials have both raised objections to the Seattle Pride celebrations around their fixture. Homosexuality is illegal in Iran under Islamic law and can be punishable by death. In Egypt, homosexuality is often penalized under vaguely worded laws prohibiting “debauchery.”
In the other Group G game, Belgium’s ageing squad featuring Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku will attempt to reach the knockout rounds with a victory over New Zealand.
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