Ghana and Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo says Cape Verde’s impressive run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup did not surprise African players who had previously faced the island nation.
Cape Verde emerged as one of the tournament’s biggest surprise packages, advancing beyond the group stage as part of a historic campaign for African football.
Nine of the 10 African nations at the World Cup progressed to the knockout stages, while Morocco went a step further by reaching the quarter-finals.
However, Semenyo believes Cape Verde’s strong showing was simply a continuation of the quality the team had already demonstrated on the African continent.
The 26-year-old recalled facing Cape Verde at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations and said the experience immediately convinced him that they were among Africa’s top sides.
“We played against them in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022. I remember coming off that game thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this is one of the best African teams I’ve played.’ They were so, so good. So this wasn’t any news to us, but obviously to the world it was,” Semenyo told CNN Sports during Manchester City’s pre-season tour at the Hong Kong Football Festival.
Cape Verde’s progress in 2026 formed part of a record-breaking World Cup campaign for Africa, with the continent’s leading teams showing they can compete against some of the strongest nations in world football.
Semenyo believes the performances in the tournament are further evidence of the rapid growth of African football and could help reshape perceptions of the continent’s teams.
“It shows African football is evolving. It shows the world we’re competing at the highest levels. Long may it continue,” he said.
Cape Verde will now turn their attention to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which gets underway in September. They will come up against Mali, Rwanda and Liberia in Group K.
