Thousands of excited fans welcomed Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks on Sunday. They waved banners at the Praia airport as the team came back after a close loss to Argentina in a surprising World Cup match.
The Sharks will have a parade through the capital city. After that, they will meet with the president and other government officials of the small island nation in West Africa.
Cape Verde made it to the knockout stages in their first World Cup. This thrilled fans at home and even gained supporters abroad as they exceeded expectations.
In a thrilling last-32 match in Miami, Cape Verde pushed Argentina hard, but the reigning world champions won 3-2 in extra time.
The team's return home matched Cape Verde’s independence day celebrations.
“After the heroes who fought for our independence, we now have these heroes, the Blue Sharks,” fan Edmilson Correia, 28, told AFP from the airport crowd.
Cape Verde head coach Bubista spoke to the press right after landing.
“We showed that our World Cup qualification wasn’t just luck. We showed hard work and resilience, and we left the United States with our heads held high,” he said.
Supporters dressed in team blue tried to catch a glimpse of their heroes like Sidny Lopes Cabral and Vozinha.
Twelve-year-old Ivan Goncalves said he was looking for Cabral because of his “fabulous goal against Argentina.”
Minister of Culture and Sports Antonio Duarte praised the Blue Sharks and their coach for “cementing Cape Verde’s status as a great nation.”
Even though the team lost to Argentina, celebrations broke out in Praia early Saturday morning. Fans celebrated the amazing journey and close loss against the world champions.
Cape Verde, a nation of just 500,000 people, marked its 51st anniversary of independence from Portugal on Sunday. Portugal ruled the country for 500 years.
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