Many predicted that would leave facing an uphill battle against two FIFA World Cup™-winning nations in and . Yet both before and after their , the Blue Sharks carried themselves with the calm assurance of a team going about their business on any ordinary day.
“The secret is simple: our greatest strength is the unity within this group. Our brotherhood. We’re all calm. We know our quality and we know what we’re doing. We want to show the world who we are and take our country to an even higher level,” Kevin Pina told FIFA.
“My heart is at peace. After that first match, we realised it’s nothing out of the ordinary. It’s not something to be afraid of. Of course, there are players with tremendous quality, but once you step onto the pitch, everyone is equal. It comes down to who wants it more, who is willing to give everything for the cause,” the midfielder added.
All signs point to a story of leadership by example, with head coach setting the tone. Even before the match against Spain, he made it clear that his squad had no reason to feel anxious. More than that, the calm he spoke about was evident in every word he uttered.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m calm. We didn’t come here simply to take part. We came here to compete. My team has no reason to be nervous,” Bubista said, while also expressing his respect for Spain. “There is nothing quite like facing two World Cup winners [Spain and Uruguay] and , one of the strongest teams in Asia. It’s an incredible opportunity to showcase our country to the world.”
While goalkeeper naturally grabbed the headlines, Cabo Verde were equally impressive in the way they controlled their emotions – even when confronted by a player of ’s calibre. “Compete without fear” was Bubista’s message.
Six days later, on the eve of the Uruguay match at , his tone remained exactly the same – even if everything around the Cabo Verde camp has changed following their achievement against Spain.
The coach and his players have been touched by the enthusiasm shown by Cabo Verdeans around the world, as well as by supporters from many other nations. There has been no escaping it. “Everything that has happened has been very intense,” admitted forward Garry Rodrigues. “Obviously, we’re human. We see what people are saying. But we’re professionals. We have players who are fully focused on a goal. The Spain game is now in the past.”
Recognising and appreciating that support is one thing. Allowing it to become a distraction is another. “Our people have been celebrating, and celebrating a lot. I said before we arrived here that no one should celebrate more than us. We are a small country, but one that has the courage to fight for the most difficult things,” Bubista explained.
“On the other hand, the celebrations are happening more outside our camp than inside it. There have been moments of satisfaction, and we are happy to have shown not only that nothing is impossible, but also that smaller nations can stand shoulder to shoulder with the biggest teams and get results. But we remain very calm. We know our concentration has to be at 200%. We want to live in the present.”
Cabo Verde’s next challenge is to try to topple La Celeste. “We know Uruguay’s strength. They are another World Cup winner and also [former] South American champions. But from the very beginning we have said that, regardless of the result against Spain, our mentality would remain strong,” the coach continued.
“Our idea is always to compete with courage and organisation, but also without fear. We will play – or at least try to play – our game. Defensively we performed well, and now we want to improve our attacking play. I hope we can do that.”
Sources: FIFA Official
