Asked for comment about an investigation into a complaint of sexual violation at the team’s hotel involving an international sportsman, New Zealand Police said: “Police can confirm an allegation is under investigation, reported to us on April 10, 2026, in central Auckland. We are unable to comment further at this time.”
The Herald understands police have sought CCTV footage from the hotel. When contacted, the hotel declined to comment.
A source close to the complainant said she had been struggling to cope since the alleged incident.
Fifa said they had no official comment to make, given the ongoing investigation by New Zealand authorities.
It is understood Fifa was not aware of the New Zealand Police investigation until it was contacted by the Herald this week.
It is also understood Fifa intends to make initial inquiries about the alleged incident with New Zealand Football, as it was the host member association for the tournament.
When contacted by the Herald, New Zealand Football said on Saturday it was unable to comment.
The Cape Verde Football Federation was contacted for comment but did not respond by time of publication.
The Fifa Series, which began in 2024, is an initiative from the governing body to allow teams from different confederations to play meaningful matches against each other. Fifa covered most of the costs for the Auckland tournament, including return business-class airfares for teams and the accommodation.
The series in this country was one of nine tournaments played in parallel across the globe in the March international window. Australia was also involved, hosting Cameroon, China and Curacao.
“The Fifa Series 2026 brings together national teams with a wide range of competitive profiles, reinforcing its development-driven design,” said a statement at the time of its launch. “This diversity reflects Fifa’s commitment to creating meaningful international bouts for representative teams of member associations at all stages of development.”
The Cape Verde squad arrived in New Zealand on March 22 and 23. They lost 4-2 to Chile in their first match on March 27, before beating Finland via a penalty shootout in their second game on March 30 after it was 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes. Across the same period, the All Whites also had games against the European and South American teams, with a 0-2 defeat to Finland followed by a famous 4-1 victory over Chile, New Zealand’s first win over a team from that continent.
Cape Verde will feature at their first World Cup next month after qualifying last October. The archipelago, located off the coast of Senegal in West Africa, is one of the smallest countries to feature at the global showpiece, both in terms of land mass and population (525,000).
The team, nicknamed the Blue Sharks, have been drawn in Group H. They will face 2010 champions Spain in their opening game in Atlanta on June 16 (NZT), before taking on Uruguay in Miami six days later. Their final group match is against Saudi Arabia in Houston on June 26.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2010, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast and the Football Fever podcast.