Sporting Kansas City midfielder Kevin Oliveira earned his senior debut for Cape Verde on Saturday, entering as an 85th-minute substitute in a 2-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Senegal in the Cape Verdean capital of Praia.
Seeking their first-ever appearance in the FIFA World Cup, Cape Verde battled resolutely against a heavily favored Senegal side before conceding an 82nd-minute strike to West Ham United forward Diafra Sakho. The deficit prompted Cape Verde head coach Lucio Antunes to summon Oliveira as another playmaking source in the final moments. The Blue Sharks pushed forward for an equalizer, but Senegal struck on the counter to double their lead through Cheikh Ndoye in stoppage time.