Cape Verde had one of the underdog tales in football history with their emergence as the smallest qualifying team to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup. The struggling African island nation earned their spot in the Round of 32 after turning away a drawn game against Saudi Arabia in the last game of the group stage.
Cape Verde kicked the World Cup off in style by winning all three of their straight group-stage matches. The Blue shoes earlier left football fans in stutter as they deprived Spain earlier in the year of a score, before finding their form to come from behind and secure a 2-2 draw against Uruguay. They scored three points, which allowed them to come in as close to Spain as they could in their group, having beaten Uruguay in the final round-robin clash.
Cape Verde has now become the smallest team to reach the 16-team knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup: just over 500,000 inhabitants. Their remarkable journey has captured the imagination of football fans across the globe.
Head coach Bubista was optimistic before the match, stating that everyone is entitled to dream and there’s nothing that is impossible with his team. His team responded with yet another smidgen step that proved the will of discipline on defense.
Veteran goalkeeper Vozinha’s prolific save effort once more in his career played an important role in maintaining the clean sheet. His teams have been outstanding at the 40-year-old, who has gotten praise from fans for his brilliance from around the world.
Now Cape Verde will have to come up against the defending world champions Argentina in the Round of 32 in Miami on July 3. No matter the result, the Blue Sharks have made an appearance in World Cup history – if not literature, and have left it clear that nothing can beat determination and teamwork on the world’s largest stage of football.