Cape Verde is an example for other small countries, said defender Pico Lopes. This came after the islanders nearly pulled off a huge upset against Argentina on Friday.
Defending champions Argentina needed a Diney Borges own goal in the 111th minute to win a thrilling last-32 match after tiring extra time in Miami.
Cape Verde is a small country with just over 500,000 people off the west coast of Africa. They held Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia to draws in their first-ever World Cup appearance.
“What we achieved, we wanted to show what was possible for small nations. With big hearts, you can believe and dream anything is possible,” Lopes told reporters.
“I hope this team inspires some young Cape Verdeans to be here next. We show what’s possible. We show what you can do when you get to this stage and meet some of the best teams in the world.”
Goalkeeper Vozinha became a star of the World Cup after his man-of-the-match performance against Spain in the Blue Sharks’ first game.
The 40-year-old saw his social media followers jump from around 50,000 to over 19 million during the tournament.
“The World Cup means a lot to us because it is something we have wanted for a long time. We qualified and realized the dream, not just for the national team or me, but for the entire people of Cape Verde,” said Vozinha, who is currently without a club.
“We are very proud of everything we have achieved. Of course, we are disappointed with the result because we wanted to move to the next round.
“We knew we were facing a tough opponent, the world champions, but I want to thank the entire federation and the whole team,” he added.
“My teammates were fantastic; they were incredible. We left with our heads held high.”
Argentina had a smooth ride through the group stages. Another Messi-inspired victory seemed likely when he opened the scoring with his 20th World Cup goal.
But Cape Verde refused to give up, coming back to level the score twice. Deroy Duarte’s goal on the hour mark pushed the game into extra time.
Even when Lisandro Martinez put Argentina ahead again, a stunning strike from Sidny Lopes Cabral had them dreaming once more before Borges scored an own goal under pressure from Cristian Romero.
Lopes has also become a hero back in Ireland, where he plays for Shamrock Rovers.
His mother is Irish and his father is Cape Verdean. The 34-year-old was recruited to play for the Blue Sharks through LinkedIn.
He mentioned they have put Cape Verde on the map over the past few weeks.
“When we qualified for the World Cup, we wanted to show that we belong here. I think our performances in the group stage and tonight showed that we can compete with the best teams,” he added.
“One good thing that has come from this World Cup is that nobody has to ask where Cape Verde is.
“They know where we are on the map. They know what we are like as a team. I think all Cape Verdeans around the world who want to play football have been inspired today.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇