Vitória de Guimarães Beats Fafe 3-1 in Friendly Comeback
Vitória de Guimarães showed their top-flight resilience on Thursday, coming from behind to secure a 3-1 victory over Liga 3 side Fafe in a closed-doors friendly at the club’s academy.
Second-Half Surge Secures Win
Despite the gap in league standings, Fafe—currently sitting fourth in Group A of the Portuguese third tier—struck first. Mário Correia found the back of the net in the 30th minute, leaving the hosts trailing at the break.
Vitória’s response in the second half was swift and decisive. Winger Oumar Camara turned the match on its head with a lightning-fast brace, scoring in both the 67th and 68th minutes to give his side the lead. Telmo Arcanjo, recently returned from international duty with Cape Verde, put the game beyond doubt in the 72nd minute with a spectacular curling left-footed strike.
Squad Depth on Display
Coach Tiago Margarido took the opportunity to rotate his squad and test his bench ahead of a challenging return to league action. The Guimarães side featured a mix of youth and experience, utilizing goalkeepers Lucas Furtado and Juan Castillo, and giving significant minutes to defenders such as Óscar Rivas and Sidibé, as well as midfielders Rica Rocha and Afonso Meireles.
Arcanjo’s contribution was particularly noteworthy as he integrated back into the club setup following a difficult international break, where Cape Verde suffered losses to Mali and Rwanda in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Eyes on Benfica
The friendly serves as vital preparation for Vitória de Guimarães, who currently occupy 14th place in the Primeira Liga with five points. The team is looking to find momentum before facing a daunting task on October 11, when they travel to the Estádio da Luz to face Benfica in the eighth round of the championship.
Image: Pexels – Franco Monsalvo
