HOUSTON - World Cup debutants Cape Verde will face reigning champions Argentina in the knockout rounds after drawing 0-0 with Saudi Arabia on Friday to extend their fairytale journey.
The stalemate in Houston and Spain’s 1-0 win over Uruguay meant the team ranked 67th finished runners-up behind Spain in Group H.
Having drawn all three group matches, the archipelago nation of just over 500,000 will play Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Miami on July 3 in another chapter to their remarkable story.
The players of Cape Verde — the third-smallest team in World Cup history by population — were in tears afterwards, as were some of their fans.
The squad waited an agonising minute or two before news of the Spain win filtered through on a mobile phone, then erupted in celebration.
Spain, held 0-0 by Cape Verde in the first round of games, finished with seven points, with the debutants on three and Uruguay and Saudi Arabia both on the way home on two.
Spain face the team that comes second in Group J, which will be either Algeria or Austria.
With history beckoning, Cape Verde coach Bubista changed half his starting side, some of it enforced, but retained his hero goalkeeper Vozinha.
The 40-year-old stopper single-handedly kept Cape Verde in it as they held out for a famous point against European champions Spain in their first-ever World Cup match.
Cape Verde, which is off the west coast of Africa, then claimed a brave 2-2 draw with two-time former champions Uruguay.
That gave them a scarcely believable shot at the last 32 coming into the encounter against Saudi Arabia, who themselves were still alive.
At the same time, in Guadalajara, Spain and Uruguay met as an unexpectedly tight group went down to the wire.
Cape Verde had slightly the better of the first half in Houston against a Saudi side who drew 1-1 with Uruguay before being thrashed 4-0 by Spain.
The Saudis suffered a blow in the 33rd minute when experienced defender Hassan al-Tambakti was stretchered off injured.
Spain took the lead towards the end of the first half in Mexico, the news greeted by cheers by Cape Verde fans in Houston.
Willy Semedo fired not too far wide of the Saudi post but neither side seriously threatened in a tense first half.
At that point Cape Verde were going through at Uruguay’s expense.
Three minutes after the break Jamiro Monteiro had a major chance from close range but his finish was weak, then Kevin Pina had an effort from distance that whistled just off target.
The tension went up a notch as they entered the final quarter, but Saudi Arabia were strangely lacking in invention even though they were chasing the game.
In the 75th minute goalkeeper Mohammed al-Owais kept them in it with a vital stop from Laros Duarte.
A point was enough for Cape Verde, but if anything, they were the more likely to score as the match ticked into the dying minutes. (Story continues below)
Dembele shines for France
Earlier on Friday in Foxborough, 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 Boston 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 … I believe we need to stay focused because there are important things ahead,” he said.
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, forced their way into 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.
That win, and results elsewhere, ensured the west Africans would scrape into the knockout phase as one of the best third-placed teams.
