World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers: Cape Verde outscore Cameroon in the opener

Cameroon - Cape Verde 77-82

Cape Verde claimed a hard-fought 82–77 victory over Cameroon in the 2027 World Cup African Qualifiers, overturning an early deficit with dominant play in the middle quarters. Cameroon opened strongly with a 19–12 first period, but Cape Verde responded with a 26-17 second quarter to take momentum into halftime. The turning point came in the third quarter, where Cape Verde’s 27-22 surge created a gap Cameroon struggled to close. Despite a competitive final frame, Cameroon couldn’t overcome Cape Verde’s sustained pressure and key scoring runs, allowing the island nation to secure an important five-point win in the qualification campaign.
Ivan Almeida stepped up with 20 points and Joel Almeida notched 14.
Landry Nnoko (208-C-1994, college: Clemson) potsed 14 points in a loss, whilst Brice Eyaga (204-C-1998) and Jordan Bayehe (203-C-1999) had 13 each.