The president of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves, predicts his country will defeat defending champions Argentina in the last 32 of the Fifa World Cup as the upstarts continue to “write their destiny”.
“I think Cape Verde can beat Argentina 1-0,” he said in an exclusive interview with the BBC.
“We are playing to win… when expectations are low regarding a team, and if that team has the urge to win, it is possible. A small nation like Cape Verde should make an effort to always do that – to permanently surprise people,” he said.
His comments come ahead of Friday’s clash between the Blue Sharks and Argentina’s national side, known as La Albiceleste, in Miami at 22:00 GMT.
This the first ever World Cup for Cape Verde – a group of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean – who have now made history a second time by becoming the smallest nation to reach the knockout stage.
They achieved an incredible goalless draw in their opening game against Spain, where 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha was the hero, before a 2-2 draw with two-time World Cup winners Uruguay.
Then came their goalless draw with Saudi Arabia on Saturday, which saw them finish as Group H runners-up after Spain’s win over Uruguay.
They now face Lionel Messi’s Argentina, bringing with them a newfound reputation for shocking their opponents.
Sixty-three places separate the sides in the world rankings, with the South Americans rated the best side on the globe and Cape Verde only the 13th best in Africa, according to Fifa.
Cape Verde’s team has “100% faith, 100% hope, and it would completely sweat out its jersey. So, we have a 100% chance to win against Argentina,” the country’s president told the BBC in the capital, Praia.
“We went to this World Cup to write our own destiny, which is, facing champions.
“So, we are going to face Argentina and Messi with the same determination, same will, and with a desire to win and reach the next phase,” he added.
It echoes the words of Pedro Leitão Brito, Cape Verde’s coach more commonly known as Bubista, who at the weekend said “to us, nothing is impossible,” while draped in his country’s flag at a news conference.
“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,” Bubista said.
“To be able to play Argentina and Messi in a phase like this is excellent for our country, regardless of the match itself.”
Midfielder Deroy Duarte has said he feels like he is “in a dream”, admitting that the tie against Argentina in the last 32 will be tough, “but let’s believe”.
“Anything is possible.”
But what happens if they lose? Cape Verde’s President Neves says there is no such thing as failure.
“Regardless of the outcome, we will leave the World Cup with our heads high and with a sense of mission accomplished.”
