Patrick Spencer
Perfect 9-of-9 from the field with 6 blocks.
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.
The starting group gave Cabo Verde the cleanest kind of qualifier win: efficient shooting, interior control and enough playmaking to end the game early.
Perfect 9-of-9 from the field with 6 blocks.
Triple-double control night as Cabo Verde ran away from Libya.
Flawless 5-of-5 shooting from the floor.
Nearly posted an all-around triple-double.
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.
The greatest result in program history — Cape Verde beat Egypt in the bronze-medal game at AfroBasket 2007.
Cape Verde qualified for its first FIBA World Cup, becoming the smallest nation ever to reach the tournament — breaking a record held by Montenegro.
Edy Tavares became the first Cape Verde-born player drafted into the NBA, selected by the Atlanta Hawks.
A 98–66 demolition of Libya on July 5 sealed advancement into Group E of the World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers.
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.
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.
A steady ball-handler who shares the creation load in the backcourt, keeping the offense organized and the ball moving.
A versatile guard-forward who defends multiple positions and keeps the ball moving — exactly the switchable profile the modern game demands.
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.
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.
Quick, unafraid of the moment and a rim-protecting menace for his size — provides fresh legs, pressure defense and shot-blocking off the bench.
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.
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.
A physical power forward who brings rebounding and interior toughness to round out the frontcourt rotation.
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.
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.
© Erik Drost / CC BY 2.022Center2.21 mThe 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.
| Rank | Team | Record | Pts | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cameroon | 5-1 | 11 | Advanced to Second Round |
| 2 | Guinea | 4-2 | 10 | Advanced to Second Round |
| 3 | Tunisia | 4-2 | 10 | Advanced to Second Round |
| 4 | Nigeria | 4-2 | 10 | Advanced to Second Round |
| 5 | South Sudan | 4-2 | 10 | Advanced to Second Round |
| 6 | Cape Verde | 3-3 | 9 | Advanced to Second Round |
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.
A flawless shooting night from the starting group closed the window in style and confirmed advancement. Libya finished 0–4 and was eliminated.
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.
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.