Cape Verde appoints Humberto Bettencourt ahead of 2027 AFCON qualifiers

The Cape Verdean Football Federation confirmed the appointment of the 51-year-old ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

"Humberto Bettencourt is the new coach for Cape Verde," the federation announced.

Bettencourt has been closely involved with the national team since joining the coaching staff in 2020 as Bubista's assistant. He remained in that position throughout Cape Verde's remarkable rise and was part of the technical team at the 2026 World Cup.

The tournament marked Cape Verde's first appearance at a World Cup, and the Blue Sharks exceeded expectations by reaching the knockout stages.

They began with a 0-0 draw against Spain before producing another impressive result against Uruguay, drawing 2-2. A goalless draw with Saudi Arabia then saw Cape Verde finish second in their group and make history as the smallest nation to reach the World Cup knockout rounds.

Their memorable campaign came to an end in the round of 32, where they suffered a 3-2 extra-time defeat to defending champions Argentina.

Bettencourt was also instrumental in Cape Verde's qualification for the 2023 and 2024 AFCON tournaments, as well as their maiden World Cup.

He now faces the challenge of guiding the team into another major tournament, with the 2027 AFCON qualifiers his first major assignment as head coach.

Cape Verde have been placed in Group K alongside Mali, Liberia and Rwanda. Their qualifying campaign will begin against Rwanda on September 29.

The Blue Sharks missed the 2025 AFCON after finishing bottom of a group that included Egypt, Botswana and Mauritania.

Bettencourt will hope to use Cape Verde's World Cup breakthrough as a foundation for continued progress on the continent.

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