Cape Verde led five-time continental champions Cameroon by one point in Group D before their meeting, and the Blue Sharks extended their advantage after pulling off a stunning upset.

Livramento scored the only goal in the 54th minute when he muscled Carlos Baleba off the ball in his own half, powered through the heart of the Cameroon defence and then calmly finished past Andre Onana from 14 yards.

Cameroon offered little going forward in response, with Bryan Mbeumo having a penalty claim turned down and home goalkeeper Vozinha saving Flavien Boyomo’s volley in stoppage time.

The final whistle sparked a pitch invasion by fans, with joyous scenes as supporters waved flags and lit flares in celebration of a famous victory.

Cape Verde have punched above their weight in recent editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, reaching the quarter-finals in the 2013 and 2023 editions, but for the Atlantic Ocean archipelago nation of less than 600,000 inhabitants to reach the World Cup finals would be truly remarkable.

The Blue Sharks know that three points from their final two games next month, away against Libya and at home against lowly Eswatini, will mean they book their ticket to Canada, Mexico and the United States.