Saudi Arabia and Cabo Verde are locked in a goalless battle in their FIFA World Cup Group H fixture, with the contest now deep into the second half. Both sides named their starting lineups ahead of kickoff, and after a brief warm up on the pitch the players lined up ready for a physical, stop start affair. From the opening whistle the match has been shaped by niggling fouls, a string of yellow cards and a handful of clear cut chances, but sharp goalkeeping at both ends has kept the scoreline blank at 0-0. Neither side has shied away from committing to challenges, which has kept the referee busy with the whistle and given the contest a stop start rhythm throughout, with midfield battles breaking out in nearly every passage of play and both benches growing visibly animated on the touchline as the tension built minute by minute.
Lineups Confirmed, Kickoff Gets Underway
The starting elevens for both teams were announced before kickoff, and the players used the time before the match to warm up on the field while the coaching staff on both benches finalised their plans for what was always expected to be a tightly contested game between two sides fighting for early momentum in the group. Once the referee blew the whistle, the first half got underway on schedule and fans on both sides settled in for what was shaping up to be a long, cagey afternoon.
First Half: Cards Fly Inside the Opening Ten Minutes
The temperature rose almost immediately. In the third minute, at 3:11, Saudi Arabia's Saud Abdulhamid fouled an opponent, handing Cabo Verde's Joao Paulo a free kick in his own defensive half. The referee showed Abdulhamid a yellow card for the challenge just seconds later, at 3:27, an early sign that cards would be handed out freely on the night.
By the sixth minute Cabo Verde's Kevin Pina had also won a free kick in his defensive half after Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Kanno fouled him there. Around the seventh minute, Saudi Arabia's Salem Al-Dawsari won a free kick on the left wing, while at almost the same point Sultan Mandash of Saudi Arabia earned a free kick in his own defensive half after Cabo Verde's Willy Semedo fouled him. Cabo Verde's Wagner Pina then committed a foul of his own, and picked up a yellow card for it at the 8:02 mark, meaning both sides had a man booked inside the opening ten minutes of the contest.
Play was halted for a short spell at 12:07 for a Cabo Verde related issue, before resuming four minutes later at 12:11. As soon as the game restarted, Saudi Arabia's Nasser Al-Dawsari conceded a foul at 12:31, gifting Joao Paulo of Cabo Verde another free kick.
17th to 35th Minute: Blocked Shots and an Injury Scare
In the 17th minute Cabo Verde's Kevin Pina was penalised for a poor tackle, but just before that Saudi Arabia had carved out a big chance of their own. Off a cross from Saud Abdulhamid, Salem Al-Dawsari struck a left footed shot from the left side of the box, only to see it blocked by Cabo Verde's defenders. In the same passage of play, Saudi Arabia's Nawaf Boushal also won a free kick on the left flank.
In the 27th minute, Cabo Verde's Willy Semedo was fouled in the opposition's half to win a free kick. Then at 29:19 Saudi Arabia's Hassan Al-Tambakti went down injured, forcing a temporary stoppage as medical staff came onto the pitch to assess him. Once the medical staff had treated him, play resumed at 32:24, and moments later, at 32:26, Saudi Arabia made their first substitution of the match, Al-Tambakti making way for Ali Lajami.
Around the 33rd minute Cabo Verde's Willy Semedo fouled an opponent during an attacking move. In the same spell, off a pass from Semedo, Jamiro Monteiro struck a left footed shot from the left of the box, but a defender blocked it before it could trouble the goal. In response, Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Al-Khaibari won a free kick in his own defensive half.
At the 35 minute mark Ali Lajami showed composure to win a free kick in his defensive third, while Jamiro Monteiro was penalised for illegally impeding an opponent. Soon after, at 35:49, Salem Al-Dawsari picked up another foul against his name, adding to a growing tally for the winger.
Past the Half Hour Mark: Near Misses and a VAR Intervention
Cabo Verde's Wagner Pina then won a free kick for his side after a dribble down the right wing, while Deroy Duarte also earned one after being fouled in his own half. Mohammed Kanno picked up yet another foul for an illegal tackle in the opposition's territory.
Cabo Verde created their best chance of the spell from a corner. Off a superb cross from Jamiro Monteiro, Joao Paulo headed the ball from the centre of the penalty area, but it climbed too high and drifted wide to the left. Soon after, Abdullah Al-Khaibari's effort went out of play to hand Cabo Verde a corner. Nasser Al-Dawsari then fouled an opponent to the ground, while at the other end Wagner Pina won an important free kick for Cabo Verde with a strong run down the right.
Willy Semedo tried his luck from outside the box with a right footed effort, but it went the wrong side of the far post. Abdullah Al-Khaibari then won a free kick in his own defensive half by breaking up a Cabo Verde attack, and Ryan Mendes was penalised for an illegal tackle on an opponent.
A VAR review followed, overturning an earlier on field decision, prompting a brief delay while the officials confirmed the change and explained it to both benches. As the first half wound down, the fourth official signalled six minutes of stoppage time, a figure the referee confirmed at the interval.
Vozinha's Big Save in Stoppage Time, Teams Level at the Break
Saudi Arabia had their best opening of the added time. Assisted by Abdulelah Al-Amri, Mohammed Kanno met the ball with a powerful header from the centre of the box, but Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha reacted sharply to tip it over the crossbar. Nasser Al-Dawsari then won another free kick with good play down the left, while Saud Abdulhamid's right footed effort from outside the box was blocked by Cabo Verde's defence. A final foul from Jamiro Monteiro closed out the half, and the two sides went into the break level at 0-0. Saudi Arabia made their second change of the match in the 45th minute, bringing on Musab Al-Juwayr for Abdullah Al-Khaibari.
Second Half: Chances at Both Ends, Still No Breakthrough
The second half kicked off with the score still tied at 0-0, both teams returning with the same intensity they had shown before the break. At 45:31, Joao Paulo put the ball out of play to concede a corner to Saudi Arabia. At 47:15, a foul by Sultan Mandash gave Cabo Verde's Willy Semedo a free kick in his own half.
At 47:56, assisted by Wagner Pina, Jamiro Monteiro struck a right footed shot from the centre of the box, but Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais saved it comfortably down the middle of his goal. Cabo Verde came close again at 49:41 when, set up by Ryan Mendes, Kevin Pina lashed a powerful left footed shot from outside the box that flew narrowly wide of the top left corner.
At 52:18, a handball was called against Mohammed Kanno. Moments later, at 52:39, Ryan Mendes, assisted by Wagner Pina, fired a left footed shot from the centre of the box, only for the opposition defence to block it.
At 54:42, Cabo Verde's Pico Lopes won a free kick with good play in his own half, in the same minute that Salem Al-Dawsari conceded a foul. At 55:05 Saud Abdulhamid put the ball out to concede a corner to Cabo Verde. At 56:17, Deroy Duarte fired a right footed effort from outside the box that flew high and wide to the right. Around this period, from a corner, Abdulelah Al-Amri headed at goal from the centre of the box, but his effort drifted wide to the left, an attempt logged at the 46:06 mark.
A Flurry of Substitutions, but the Score Stays Level
At 60:19, Cabo Verde brought on Nuno da Costa for Dailon Livramento, and at 60:27 Helio Varela replaced Willy Semedo, the two changes clearly aimed at freshening up the attacking line as the hosts looked to break the deadlock. At 62:24, a foul by Kevin Pina gave Saudi Arabia's Sultan Mandash a free kick in his defensive half.
At 65:03, Saudi Arabia introduced Mohammed Abu Al Shamat in place of Salem Al-Dawsari, and just three minutes later, at 65:06, Abdullah Al-Hamdan came on for Sultan Mandash, as the Saudi bench also looked to change the game's pattern. At 65:41, Cabo Verde's Helio Varela won a free kick after being fouled, while around the same time Saud Abdulhamid's foul gifted Cabo Verde a free kick of their own.
Saudi Arabia's best chance of the second half arrived at 66:03. Assisted by Musab Al-Juwayr, Mohammed Abu Al Shamat struck a right footed shot from the right side of the penalty area, but Cabo Verde keeper Vozinha kept it out, denying the effort as it headed for the top left corner. At 66:32, a foul by Nasser Al-Dawsari gave Cabo Verde's Nuno da Costa a free kick in the opposition's half, and the same rough challenge earned Al-Dawsari a yellow card at 66:35, his second caution of the match for the Saudi Arabia camp.
At 70:51, Cabo Verde replaced Jamiro Monteiro with Larios Duarte, and in the 71st minute Gary Rodrigues came on for Ryan Mendes as the visitors used up the last of their permitted changes. In between, at 68:16, play was paused briefly for a drinks break, which both benches used to send fresh instructions onto the pitch and reset their players for the closing stages of the contest.
Score Still Level at 0-0 as the Match Continues Past the 70th Minute
At 72:08, a foul by Cabo Verde's Diney Borges handed Saudi Arabia a free kick, while Saudi Arabia's Firas Al-Buraikan also won a free kick on the right wing after being fouled. The stoppage from the drinks break ended at 71:17, and both sides resumed play ready to push on. At the moment, the scoreline remains locked at 0-0, with both teams still searching for a breakthrough, and with the defences on both sides this well organised, the next goal looks set to decide which team walks away happier from this Group H clash between Saudi Arabia and Cabo Verde, as the World Cup group stage race continues to take shape with every passing minute of this absorbing, tightly fought contest between two determined sides still hunting for the moment that finally breaks the deadlock.
