Cape Verde has defied odds to become the smallest country by population to earn a spot in the men’s World Cup knockout rounds.
The Blue Sharks completed an improbable run through the group stage after drawing for a third time on Friday night, with a 0-0 result against Saudi Arabia in Texas.
Post-match, Cape Verde coach Bubista said: “We are proud of having arrived at this stage. We have shown that we are a small country, but that we fight for the things that we want to achieve.”
The small island nation off the western coast of Africa has a population of just over 500,000.
The team are making their debut on football’s grandest stage, and are also the first debutant since 2010 to make it through to the knockouts.
Cape Verde advance after another strong game from 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, whose tournament success has helped him earn more than 16 million Instagram followers.
“We are small,” Vozinha said, speaking about the island nation, “but we have big hearts and we are fighters.”
“There is a lot of quality in our national team,” Vozinha said.
“Maybe for many of you, you think the Cape Verdean player is not good enough.
“But we came here to show that we have a lot of quality and we are here to compete and our players can play everywhere in the big competition, in the big leagues.”
The team finished second in Group H on Friday, with a 0-0 draw with Spain and a 2-2 result against Uruguay already under their belt.
The group winners, Spain, beat Uruguay on Friday night and won the group.
Drawing all three group matches doesn’t guarantee advancement at major soccer tournaments, but several teams have done it in the past, including Wales in 1958, Ireland and the Netherlands in 1990, and Chile in 1998.
New Zealand, however, also got three draws at the 2010 World Cup and was eliminated.
Cape Verde advanced as their three draws earned them three points, one more than Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, who each finished on two points.
Having led his squad to new heights, Bubista was asked if he could have imagined such a run entering the tournament.
“I’ve always said that sooner or later Cape Verde would be on such a stage,” he said.
Adding: “Of course it’s hard to have such a forecast, but I always knew.”
Cape Verde will play reigning World Cup champion Argentina in Miami on July 3.
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