CABO VERDE MEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL 🇨🇻

Second Round secured.

The Tubarões Azuis — Cape Verde's Blue Sharks — punched through Window 3 with a 98-66 blowout of Libya on July 5, 2026, carrying a 3-3 record into Group E of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers.

NICKNAME
Tubarões Azuis · Blue Sharks
CONFEDERATION
FIBA Africa
STAGE
Second Round · Group E
LATEST
98–66 win vs Libya
RECORD
3–3 (carried over)
GOAL
First-ever World Cup berth
FINAL
98-66
Cape Verde over Libya
GROUP E
3-3
Record carried into Round 2
TICKETS
5
African World Cup spots available
NEXT
GUI · TUN · NGR
Second Round opponents from Group C
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BOX SCORE LEADERS

Libya had no answers.

The starting group gave Cabo Verde the cleanest kind of qualifier win: efficient shooting, interior control and enough playmaking to end the game early.

Patrick Spencer

PTS
21
points
REB
10
boards
AST
0
assists

Perfect 9-of-9 from the field with 6 blocks.

Ivan Almeida

PTS
17
points
REB
10
boards
AST
13
assists

Triple-double control night as Cabo Verde ran away from Libya.

Kenneti Mendes

PTS
12
points
REB
0
boards
AST
0
assists

Flawless 5-of-5 shooting from the floor.

Patrick Lima

PTS
11
points
REB
8
boards
AST
8
assists

Nearly posted an all-around triple-double.

THE NATIONAL TEAM 🇨🇻

Meet the Blue Sharks.

Cape Verde — the Tubarões Azuis · Blue Sharks — is one of the great overachievers of African basketball: an island nation of barely half a million people punching far above its size and chasing a return to the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

HEAD COACH
Emanuel Trovoada
FEDERATION
Federação Caboverdiana de Basquetebol (FCBB)
CONFEDERATION
FIBA Africa
WORLD RANKING
FIBA World Ranking · Top 65
HOME ARENA
Pavilhão Vavá Duarte · Praia
CAPITAL
Praia, Santiago 🇨🇻
CURRENT STAGE
Second Round · Group E
LATEST RESULT
Cape Verde 98–66 Libya · July 5, 2026
HISTORY & HONOURS

A tiny nation, a giant story

2007

AfroBasket Bronze 🥉

The greatest result in program history — Cape Verde beat Egypt in the bronze-medal game at AfroBasket 2007.

2023

First-Ever World Cup 🌍

Cape Verde qualified for its first FIBA World Cup, becoming the smallest nation ever to reach the tournament — breaking a record held by Montenegro.

2014

First NBA Draft Pick

Edy Tavares became the first Cape Verde-born player drafted into the NBA, selected by the Atlanta Hawks.

2026

Second Round Run

A 98–66 demolition of Libya on July 5 sealed advancement into Group E of the World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers.

THE ROSTER · SQUAD

Meet the Blue Sharks squad

FIBA TEAM PAGE ↗

Cabo Verde's official 12-man squad from the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket in Angola, listed by jersey number under head coach Emanuel Trovoada — with per-game production carried over from the AfroBasket window and standout box-score lines where available. Real player photos are shown where a properly-licensed image exists; the rest use national-colours portraits until official photos are added.

00PL0Guard1.90 m

#0 Patrick Lima

Floor general
CB Andújar (Spain)

Steady hands and vision in the backcourt — nearly posted a triple-double of his own in qualifying with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists against Libya.

11 PTS · 8 REB · 8 AST vs LBA
11AD1Guard1.90 m

#1 Anim Delgado

Secondary playmaker
Jaén Paraíso (Spain)

A steady ball-handler who shares the creation load in the backcourt, keeping the offense organized and the ball moving.

AfroBasket ’25 Q · 2.5 APG
22WT2Guard/Forward1.95 m

#2 Will Tavares

Two-way connector
KB Ylli (Kosovo)

A versatile guard-forward who defends multiple positions and keeps the ball moving — exactly the switchable profile the modern game demands.

33RS3Forward2.03 m

#3 Roesley Sanches

Young frontcourt riser
Jaén Paraíso (Spain)

At 23 the baby of the squad — a mobile, high-motor power forward earning national-team minutes and pointing to the program's next generation.

66IA6Forward1.97 m

#6 Ivan Almeida

Veteran leader · playmaking engine
Kriol Star (Cape Verde)

The veteran leader who sets the tone for the Blue Sharks. Ran the show against Libya with a 17-point, 13-assist, 10-rebound triple-double, and dropped 22 points on Côte d'Ivoire at AfroBasket 2025.

17 PTS · 13 AST · 10 REB vs LBA
AfroBasket ’25 Q · 4.3 RPG · 4.0 APG · 1.3 BPG
88AC8Guard1.95 m

#8 Anderson Correia

Backcourt depth · defender
Kriol Star (Cape Verde)

Quick, unafraid of the moment and a rim-protecting menace for his size — provides fresh legs, pressure defense and shot-blocking off the bench.

AfroBasket ’25 Q · 0.7 BPG
99JA9Forward1.92 m

#9 Joel Almeida

Veteran wing · glue guy
Kriol Star (Cape Verde)

One of the wily elder statesmen of the program at 39 — years of AfroBasket and World Cup minutes make him a reliable scorer and the steadying presence on the wing next to his brother Ivan.

AfroBasket ’25 Q · 11.3 PPG
1010KM10ForwardC2.03 m

#10 Kenneti Mendes

Captain · instant offense
Kriol Star (Cape Verde)

The team captain and a knock-down interior scorer — flawless 5-of-5 shooting for 12 points against Libya off clean spacing and quick decisions.

12 PTS · 5/5 FG vs LBA
1212AL12Forward1.98 m

#12 Amarilson Lopes

Frontcourt depth
Estrela de Santo André (Portugal)

A physical power forward who brings rebounding and interior toughness to round out the frontcourt rotation.

1616KG16Center2.11 m

#16 Keven Gomes

Rim protector · rebounding
CB Benicarló (Spain)

The second tower behind Edy Tavares — protected the paint with three blocks in the emphatic 87–54 upset of reigning champions Tunisia at AfroBasket 2025.

14 PTS · 7 REB · 3 BLK vs TUN
2121JG21Forward2.03 m

#21 João "Betinho" Gomes

Energy · leadership
Benfica (Portugal)

A relentless competitor at 40 who still brings toughness, rebounding and hustle every time he checks in — a double-figure scorer and the emotional heartbeat of the frontcourt.

AfroBasket ’25 Q · 11.5 PPG · 4.8 RPG
Walter "Edy" Tavares — Cabo Verde national basketball© Erik Drost / CC BY 2.022Center2.21 m

#22 Walter "Edy" Tavares

Anchor · rim protector
Real Madrid (Spain)

The European-title-winning center is the ceiling-raiser of Cape Verde basketball — an elite shot-blocker and lob threat who grabbed 19 rebounds in the AfroBasket 2025 win over DR Congo.

14 PTS · 19 REB vs COD
OFFICIAL GROUP E PICTURE

Second Round standings

RankTeamRecordPtsStatus
1Cameroon5-111Advanced to Second Round
2Guinea4-210Advanced to Second Round
3Tunisia4-210Advanced to Second Round
4Nigeria4-210Advanced to Second Round
5South Sudan4-210Advanced to Second Round
6Cape Verde3-39Advanced to Second Round
ROAD TO QATAR 2027

How the tickets are won

AFRICAN TICKETS
5
World Cup places available to FIBA Africa
FROM GROUP E
TOP 2
Direct qualification for the top two finishers
FROM GROUP F
TOP 2
The parallel Second Round group also sends two
WILDCARD
1
Best third-placed team across both groups
THE JOURNEY

From Group A to the Second Round

FIRST ROUND · GROUP A

Top-three finish books the next stage

Cape Verde placed among the top three of Group A alongside Cameroon and South Sudan, carrying every first-round result forward into the Second Round.

JULY 5, 2026 · WINDOW 3

98–66 blowout of Libya

A flawless shooting night from the starting group closed the window in style and confirmed advancement. Libya finished 0–4 and was eliminated.

SECOND ROUND · GROUP E

Merged with the Group C qualifiers

The top three from Group A joined the top three from Group C to form Group E. Prior results carry over, so Cape Verde opens the round at 3–3.

NEXT · CROSS-OVER GAMES

Guinea, Tunisia and Nigeria await

In the Second Round, Group E teams only play the three arriving Group C sides. Every game now shapes the five African tickets to the 2027 FIFA — FIBA World Cup in Qatar.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

Cabo Verde on film

OPEN ON YOUTUBE
July 5, 2026 · 98-66

Cape Verde vs Libya — FIBA Qualifiers Highlights

More highlights load from the official video links below.

Cape Verde FIBA video hub

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