The Cape Verde national football team has a friendly scheduled against India in early October. The match is set for October 6, likely in Kolkata or Kochi.
The September-October international window will be busy for the Blue Sharks. Before traveling to Asia, Humberto Bettencourt's side faces key Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. They play away against Mali on September 23 and host Rwanda on September 27. Rwanda is coached by former India manager Stephen Constantine, adding extra context to the fixture. Cape Verde's recent performance in the 2026 World Cup, where they finished 2nd in their group with 3 points and a zero goal difference, demonstrates their competitiveness against top nations.
The friendly between India and Cape Verde is scheduled for October 6, according to an All India Football Federation (AIFF) official cited by the Hindustan Times. The match will occur in the same window as India's game against Brazil on October 3. The exact venue is yet to be confirmed, with options being the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata or the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. "There aren’t too many stadiums in India that meet the requirements of holding a FIFA international. Hence, Kolkata or Kochi," the official said. India is expected to set up a training camp in Kolkata to prepare for these matches.
The national team is in a transition phase, with Humberto Bettencourt, previously the assistant, now in charge following Bubista's departure to a club in Morocco. These friendlies against Brazil and India represent a valuable opportunity for the new manager to test the team outside the African context. Cape Verde enters these games after a historic World Cup campaign, where they held eventual champions Spain to a draw and pushed finalists Argentina to extra time. In the current cycle, the team has scored 2 goals and conceded 2, maintaining a solid defense.
India, coached by Khalid Jamil, is looking to face high-level teams as part of its preparation. Beyond Cape Verde, the AIFF is reportedly working to schedule an additional friendly before the Brazil match. The Brazilian football federation (CBF) has already sent a delegation to Kolkata for a venue inspection, which ran from late Wednesday through Friday last week. Brazil is expected to travel to India with a delegation of around 90 people on September 30. These games are a significant test for the Indian national team, which wants to measure itself against sides that featured in the last World Cup finals.
This match in India is more than just a friendly. It is a continuation of the team's exposure to different playing styles and an opportunity for Bettencourt to solidify his project. After the AFCON qualifiers, the team will focus on maintaining the defensive consistency that earned them three draws in their World Cup group, where they finished 4 points behind leaders Spain. The next steps include analyzing performance in these games and planning for the future, with all the data available on our stats page. The tight schedule will test the squad's depth but also show the resilience that has characterized the Blue Sharks in their recent journey.
