Just a year ago, the very idea of seeing Cape Verde play at WAFCON seemed almost utopian. The archipelago, with a population barely over 500,000, played its very first international match only in 2018, with two blank years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their qualification came after a hard-fought playoff against Mali: a 1-0 defeat at home in Praia, then a complete turnaround in Bamako, which saw them clinch qualification with a 4-3 aggregate score.
This magical run is part of an exceptional summer for Cape Verdean football. Just a month earlier, the men's team played in their first World Cup and came close to pushing reigning champions Argentina to a penalty shootout in the round of 16, losing 3-2 after extra time.
According to Tatiana Carvalho, vice-president of the Cape Verdean Football Federation in charge of women's football, that achievement fueled the collective spirit of the women's squad.
"The men's team's exploits are a huge source of motivation and inspiration for us, she explained to ESPN before the tournament. We are forging our own path, based on the same principles, determined to honour our flag, our Federation, and all the people of Cape Verde."
On the bench, this story also has a face: Silveria Nedio, 60 years old, who has coached the team since its creation in 2018. A former handball player, rhythmic gymnast, and footballer, she spent many years as a winger for FC Juventude on the islands.
Before the tournament kicked off against Ghana, at a press conference in Casablanca, she did not hide her emotion at leading her country onto the stage with Africa's footballing giants. "It's an absolute privilege to be here. We hope to play a good match, to play with determination, because we know Ghana is a strong and very determined team. We are motivated as a group."
A one-sided Group D
On Moroccan soil, sporting reality quickly caught up with the dream. However, after being beaten in their opener by Ghana at the Moulay Rachid stadium, the Cape Verdeans then put up a much more credible fight against Mali on Sunday at Casablanca's Larbi Zaouli stadium.
Trailing 1-0 after a goal from Oumou Kone, they responded through Eveline Varela before conceding again in the second half to a more clinical Mali side, with goals from Fatoumata Niakate and Fatoumata Diarra. Alivia Kelly pulled one back in stoppage time, making the final score 3-2.
Two goals scored in a single match, after a tough start against Ghana: the statistic may seem modest, but it matters for a team experiencing this level of competition for the first time.
In a Group D dominated by an unyielding Cameroon side - winners of their first two matches and already assured of a quarter-final spot - Cape Verde never had the margin for error needed to hope for qualification.
Playing for pride
So there remains one last act, on Thursday, against a Cameroon side that has already secured qualification but will want to finish the group stage on a high before the quarter-finals.
For the Cape Verdean players, this match no longer has any bearing on the standings, but it still carries symbolic weight: to finish their very first WAFCON on a positive note, gain international experience, and perhaps confirm the promise shown against Mali.
Forward Sandra Martins, who trained partly in England before joining the Cape Verdean squad through the diaspora, had warned before the tournament not to underestimate her team.
"I think we will do well, probably better than people expect from newcomers, she said. "We are aiming for two wins, and if everyone gives their best and we really work together, we could have a chance to reach the next round."
A blessing in disguise
During their preparations, an external event ended up working in Cape Verde's favour.
This WAFCON was originally scheduled for March, but was postponed just twelve days before kick-off - a decision by the African Football Confederation justified by the desire to "ensure the success" of the competition, but which drew sharp criticism across the continent.
For a team as young as Cape Verde, ranked 120th in the world and among the lowest-ranked in North Africa, it ultimately turned out to be a blessing. The postponement gave Nedio's staff several extra months to fine-tune the squad, as the team's core remains young and still developing.
"We talked about it among ourselves, and we needed more time to prepare," Martins explained. "We recently played two friendlies against Ivory Coast, and those matches were really useful for us. We worked on several aspects of our game, welcomed new teammates, and they integrated really well into the team.
"Spending more time together really helped us understand each other better on the pitch."
This insight is especially relevant given the makeup of this Cape Verdean squad, which is largely shaped by the diaspora: fourteen players play in Portugal, two others elsewhere in Europe, and only five are based on the islands. So many different backgrounds, with varied journeys, accents, and sometimes playing habits to blend together. The extra months of preparation allowed this still inexperienced, composite squad to build chemistry.
Beyond the results, this summer will remain a foundational milestone for Cape Verdean football, just as it was for the men's team. An entire generation of young Cape Verdean women are discovering, for the first time, a women's national team on the continent's biggest stage.