AFCON qualifier: Togo play host to Cape Verde in final round of Group B
Seeking to pick up a third win on the bounce, Togo play host to Cape Verde in the final round of Group B matches of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Sunday.
While Paulo Duarte’s men will be playing for pride, the Blue Sharks could leapfrog Burkina Faso to finish as group winners with all three points at the Stade de Kegeu.
Togo picked up their first win of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers as they cruised to a 2-0 victory over Eswatini when the sides squared off at the Mbombela Stadium on June 18.
Cercle Brugge forward Kevin Denkey opened the scoring shortly before the quarter-hour mark before 28-year-old Euloge Fessou Placca made sure of the result with a 92nd-minute strike.
Prior to that, Duarte’s men snapped their four-match winless run on June 14 when they picked up a 2-0 victory over Lesotho courtesy of goals from Yawo Evra Agbagno and Denkey.
Despite their recent resurgence, Togo’s hopes of reaching the 2023 AFCON had already been squashed as they sit third in Group B, five points behind Cape Verde in second place heading into the final group game.
Togo now return home, where they are unbeaten in each of their last eight matches across all competitions, picking up three wins and five draws since a 1-0 loss against Namibia in September 2031.
Cape Verde, on the other hand, sealed their place in Ivory Coast last time out as they picked up a 3-1 victory over Burkina Faso at the Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde.
After Bebe and Issoufou Dayo scored for either side to end the first half level, second-half strikes from Joao Paulo and substitute Cle helped the hosts to all three points.
Bubista’s men have now picked up three wins and one draw in their four qualifying games since their 2-0 defeat against Burkina Faso in the Group B curtain-raiser on June 3.
With 10 points from a possible 15, Cape Verde are currently second in the table, only below first-placed Burkina Faso, who take on rock-bottom Eswatini at the Stade de Marrakech on Friday evening.
The Blue Sharks, who reached the round of 16 of the 2021 AFCON, head into the weekend unbeaten in five straight games across all competitions, picking up three wins and two draws since a 2-0 loss against Sierra Leone in July 2022.
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Denkey has been in fine form in front of goal and the Cercle Brugge striker, who boasts 10 goals and assists in his last 14 appearances for club and country should lead Togo’s attack once again.
He may be joined in the front two by strike partner Placca, while Karim Dermane and Raja Club Athletic man Roger Aholou.
Bubista has named a 25-man squad for Sunday’s clash, including Fatih Karagumruk forward Ryan Mendes, who is the nation’s most-capped player with 63 appearances under his belt.
Medes, who is also one goal shy of becoming the Blue Sharks’ leading scorer, should spearhead the attack, alongside Gilson Tavares and 27-year-old winger Lisandro Semedo.
At the opposite end of the pitch, we expect a back four of Joao Paulo, Steve Furtado, Logan Costa and Joao Correia, with 37-year-old Vozinha starting between the sticks once again.
Togo possible starting lineup:
Sabirou; Djene, Lawson, Ouro-Sama, Kouloun; Aholou, Dermane, Dossevi, Laba; Placca, Denkey
Cape Verde possible starting lineup:
Vozinha; Paulo, Furtado, Costa, Correia; Santos, Duarte, Gomes; Semedo, Mendes, Tavares