Cape Verde vs Equatorial Guinea Prediction: There is little to play for here

Cape Verde and Equatorial Guinea are set to clash in an international friendly at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium on Monday evening. Both teams secured victories in their recent matches and aim to continue their positive momentum in this upcoming encounter.

Cape Verde narrowly edged out Guyana with a 1-0 victory during their recent encounter in Jeddah on Thursday evening. Bubista's team started strongly, securing the lead with Ryan Mendes's goal in the second minute, proving crucial for their triumph. With this win, the Blue Sharks have now won four of their last six matches across various competitions, suffering only one defeat during this period. Their next challenge comes against an opponent whom they have dominated in their previous two meetings, winning by a combined score of 6-0. This upcoming match serves as their final test before the resumption of World Cup qualifiers in June, and Cape Verde aims to maintain their positive momentum.

Equatorial Guinea secured their third victory in four matches, both before and after their exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, with a 2-0 triumph against Cambodia on Friday. They maintained their solid defensive record by securing their second clean sheet in three games. In what marks their first friendly win since 2017, Juan Micha's team took the lead just 10 minutes into the game through Joan Lopez Elo, with Basilio Socoliche extending their advantage nine minutes before halftime. The Nzalang Nacional have now remained unbeaten in 14 out of their last 15 matches since suffering a comprehensive 4-0 defeat against Tunisia in the AFCON qualifiers back in 2022. With 10 goals scored in their last four matches, Equatorial Guinea will be confident of continuing their attacking prowess in this encounter.

Cape Verde has suffered only one loss in their last six games across various competitions, with that defeat occurring on penalties in the AFCON quarterfinals against South Africa. On the other hand, Equatorial Guinea has experienced just one loss in their last 15 games across competitions, showcasing a solid defensive record with eight clean sheets. They have won eight out of their last 13 matches and have maintained clean sheets in four of their last six friendlies. Both teams emerged victorious in their previous friendly matches and are expected to field unchanged starting lineups. Given their impressive form in 2024, a draw appears to be the likely outcome.