Cape Verde’s miraculous qualification to the World Cup knockout stages was marred by a shooting that saw four fans rushed to hospital in Massachusetts on Friday night.
The tiny island nation held Saudi Arabia to a draw in Houston to become the smallest country ever to make it through the group stages, an even more impressive feat given they are making their World Cup debut.
The town of Brockton, on the outskirts of Boston, is home to around 20,000 Cape Verdeans and has even been nicknamed ‘the 11th island’ of the World Cup minnows, but jubilation on Friday night was marred by violent scenes after full-time.
NBC Boston reports that police were called to the Main Street area after the game, where large groups of fans had gathered to watch the action – and celebrate afterwards.
When they arrived, cops found at least four people with gunshot wounds, with all four taken to a local hospital for treatment. Their current condition is unclear.
It is also unknown whether any arrests were made, but the Daily Mail has reached out to the Brockton Police Department for more information.
At least four people were shot as violent scenes erupted in Brockton on Friday night
The city had held a huge watch party for its 20,000-strong Cape Verdean population
Brockton has the largest Cape Verdean population of anywhere in the United States, and locals went wild after the team’s unlikely qualification to the last 32.
Incredibly, the team has played Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, and has not lost any of the three games.
Their reward for getting through to the last 32 is a match-up against Lionel Messi and Argentina in Miami on Friday night.
Worryingly, it is not the first display of violence in Brockton during the World Cup, after five people were shot and one stabbed after the team’s previous match on June 21.
Cape Verde fans in Brockton celebrated after their team qualified for the knockout stages
Down in Houston, the team pose for photos on the field after another miraculous result
Fans of Cape Verde were jubilant after the team set up a last-32 clash against Argentina
After the Spain game, on June 15, nine arrests were made by police, but there were no reports of any serious violence among the crowds.
The town held a huge watch party for the game at Campanelli Stadium, usually home to the Frontier League’s Brockton Rox baseball team.
There have been no reports of violence at the event, but rather on the streets as the party continued late into the night.
It is unclear whether another watch party will be held for the Round of 32 game against Argentina on Friday night.
