Cape Verde players went viral on Friday for their joyous, real-time reaction to realising they’d reached the knockout stage of the World Cup.
Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia meant they finished second in Group H, somewhat miraculously given they had recorded just three points overall.
Yet their first two points had come via valiant draws with favourites Spain and World Cup stalwarts Uruguay – a 0-0 then a 2-2.
Furthermore, Uruguay’s own poor campaign meant they joined Saudi Arabia in finishing with just two points. Uruguay finished ahead of Saudi Arabia on goal difference, but as they are not one of the group stage’s eight best third-placed teams, they were eliminated.
But Cape Verde were not certain of this at full time of their game with Saudi Arabia in Houston, Texas.
With Uruguay’s match against Spain kicking off at the same time, Cape Verde players gathered on the pitch after their final whistle to wait upon news from that fixture.
And when it was confirmed that Spain had seen off Uruguay 1-0, confirming Cape Verde’s fairytale progression to the last 32, euphoric scenes were sparked on the pitch and in the stands.
Some fans could be seen crying, while others erupted in cheers, while Cape Verde players and staffed danced around on the turf.
Later, the players filmed themselves dancing in their dressing room while singing “1 per cent!” – the odds they’d been given of advancing past the group stage.
Next up for the underdogs is another tough task, however, as they face reigning champions Argentina in the last 32.
Still, Cape Verde’s coach Bubista said at his post-match press conference: “To us, nothing is impossible. Ourselves and the people of Cape Verde have to be proud of what the team has done. First of all, we are proud to be able to play Argentina.
“From the very beginning, we’ve said that one of the purposes we had was to show our country to the rest of the world. To be able to play Argentina and Messi in a phase like this is excellent for our country, regardless of the match itself.”
Cape Verde are not only one of the lowest-ranked teams at the World Cup, but they became the smallest country – in terms of population – ever to reach the knockouts. The island nation off the western coast of Africa has a population of just over 500,000.
“We are small,” said 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who went viral himself after a heroic display against Spain, “but we have big hearts, and we are fighters.”
