Cape Verde Islands beat Serbia 3-0 in Lisbon, a friendly statement that underlined their momentum heading toward a maiden World Cup appearance. Rui Águas’ 4-2-3-1 produced an early breakthrough, Kevin Lenini finishing in the 11th minute after Ryan Mendes ran at the Serbian right side. The home midfield pair of Lenini and Telmo Arcanjo screened effectively, with Jamiro Monteiro linking up with Jovane Cabral and Mendes behind Nuno Da Costa.
Cape Verde controlled the opening spell but tempers flared when Monteiro collected a booking in the 19th minute and Lenini followed a minute later, with Andrija Živković also carded amid the dispute. Serbia, set up in Dragan Stojković’s own 4-2-3-1, struggled to play through Aleksandar Stanković and Njegoš Petrović, leaving Jovan Milošević isolated and goalkeeper Filip Stanković repeatedly sweeping up danger.
Águas made a raft of changes at half-time, introducing Logan Costa, Kelvin Pires, Steven Moreira and CJ Dos Santos at the back, while Hélio Varela, Laros Duarte and Benchimol refreshed the attack. The impact was immediate: Varela worked the left channel and created Duarte’s 59th-minute finish, then Duarte threaded Benchimol through in the 63rd minute to lock in the result.
Stojković responded with four interval substitutions of his own—Vladimir Lučić, Lazar Ranđelović, Dejan Zukić and Nikola Štulić—but Serbia still lacked rhythm. Further changes on 66 minutes brought in Vanja Dragojević, Nikola Simic, Ognjen Mimović and Vukašin Đurđević, yet Cape Verde’s second-half unit stayed composed. Steven Moreira’s 82nd-minute booking preceded cautions for Dragojević and Mimović, while João Paulo relieved Lenini, Dailon Rocha Livramento replaced Monteiro on 76 minutes, and Stopira came on for Sidny Lopes Cabral in the 79th.
CJ Dos Santos faced little danger as Cape Verde closed out a clean sheet. With Varela and Duarte combining for two goals and an assist and Benchimol adding the third, Águas gained evidence of his depth pieces thriving. Serbia left Lisbon still searching for sharper execution before competitive fixtures return.
Key facts
- Venue: Estádio do Restelo, Lisbon
- Cape Verde Islands goals: Kevin Lenini 11'; Laros Duarte 59'; Benchimol 63'
- Bookings: Jamiro Monteiro 19'; Kevin Lenini 20'; Andrija Živković 20'; Steven Moreira 82'; Vanja Dragojević 82'; Ognjen Mimović 84'
- Cape Verde Islands formation: 4-2-3-1 under Rui Águas
- Serbia formation: 4-2-3-1 under D. Stojković
