Semi-Pro Fafe Topple Braga to Reach Rare Taça de Portugal Semi-Final

The mood in Braga flipped from cautious optimism to uncomfortable soul-searching in the space of 90 minutes. On Wednesday night a buoyant AD Fafe, drawn from Portugal’s semi-professional third tier, hustled and out-thought the heavily favoured Sporting de Braga, scoring twice and sealing a 2-1 upset that echoes across the Minho. Two days later, talk inside the Arsenalistas’ camp has shifted from licking wounds to rebuilding credibility before the league campaign resumes.

A giant-killing that rewrites old hierarchies

Fafe’s victory is not just a curious cup anecdote; it is the club’s first appearance in the Taça de Portugal semi-finals since the late 70s and a fresh warning that the gap between Liga 3 and the Primeira Liga can be bridged with organisation and nerve. The goals from João Santos and Carlos Daniel—arriving on either side of half-time—were snapshots of a side prepared for the moment, while Braga’s late strike by Dorgeles only served to underline what was lost. Travelling supporters, who made the short 45 km trip south-east along the A11, were left stunned in near-freezing temperatures at the Parque Municipal dos Desportos.

How Fafe built the upset

The blueprint was elementary but brilliantly executed. Coach Ricardo Silva planted a compact 4-4-2, forcing Braga’s midfield wide and depriving them of the vertical passes that normally release Álvaro Djaló. Each time Braga advanced, Fafe’s back line compressed the half-spaces and broke quickly through the tireless João Santos, whose opener came from a turnover near the centre circle. Braga’s discomfort showed in their shot map: 17 attempts but only 3 on target before stoppage time.

Braga’s unraveling week

Just four days before Wednesday’s exit, the Gverreiros do Minho had already lost the Taça da Liga final to Vitória de Guimarães. That back-to-back disappointment intensified the scrutiny on manager Daniel Vicente, who conceded in the mixed zone that the squad had "already licked our wounds" from one final, only to open fresh ones. The absence of striker Amine El Ouazzani (metatarsal fracture) again forced makeshift options up front, and winger Sandro Vidigal remained sidelined with an undisclosed injury, further limiting width.

What the result means for Portugal’s cup

Fafe’s reward is a two-legged semi-final against either FC Porto or Estoril, dates to be confirmed next week by the Federação. Braga, meanwhile, must recalibrate quickly: a trip to Chaves in the Primeira Liga looms on Sunday, followed by a Europa League knockout tie in February. Failure to steady results could jeopardise European ambitions, something that seemed unimaginable when August’s forecasts tipped Braga as Benfica’s main challenger.

Numbers to file away

• 7 wins in 7 cup matches for Fafe this season, conceding just 4 times

• Braga have leaked 5 goals across their last 2 domestic cup fixtures

• Fafe score 75 % of their goals after the interval; both Wednesday’s strikes came in that window

• The upset is only the third occasion a third-tier side has knocked Braga out of the Taça in the last 25 years

Can Braga turn a blip into fuel?

Insiders at the Cidade Desportiva training complex insist the dressing-room mood remains united, crediting captain Ricardo Horta for an immediate, players-only huddle on the Fafe pitch. "It hurts, but pain can sharpen us," Horta said later, hinting that the club will prioritise a top-three league finish—and automatic Champions League qualification—over domestic cups. Yet among supporters there is palpable frustration that another path to silverware has closed.

Perspective from the stands

North-western cup nights carry their own mythology. Older fans still reference Braga’s 1966 shock of Benfica or Fafe’s lone top-flight season in 1988-89. Wednesday adds a modern chapter: modest budgets, municipal floodlights and volunteer stewards overshadowing prime-time broadcast slots. For supporters across Portugal, it is a reminder that the Taça keeps its power to rearrange expectations—and that giant-killings remain a priceless part of the football calendar.

Reporting by our Minho bureau, with files from Fafe