June 26 (Reuters) – Cape Verde coach Bubista walked into his press conference draped in his country’s flag, a man of few words tasked with explaining how one of football’s smallest nations had barged into the World Cup knockout rounds at the first attempt.
Their 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia completed a group stage journey of three stalemates that left them on three points, nervously dependent on Spain beating Uruguay to secure their passage.
So the players stayed on the pitch with mobile phones in hand, watching the final minutes of Spain’s 1-0 victory before tension burst into celebration.
For Bubista, however, this was no fairytale, but an achievement built on hard work, discipline and a refusal to wilt under pressure.
“I’m proud of what they’ve achieved,” the 56-year-old former defender said. “To finish the first phase without losing a single match, we have to be pleased. It was down to organisation and team spirit.
“Our fans deserve all of this. We were one goal short of being even better, of being even happier. The team did everything they could to win and I’m pleased.”
‘A BIT OF A SHOCK’
Cape Verde, the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup knockouts, finished second in Group H, earning them a round-of-32 meeting with holders Argentina, a prize that felt improbable even as it came into view.
“It’s a bit of a shock, although we’d always had it in mind that we might reach this stage after the first two matches,” Bubista said.
“The team was really keen to show the whole world what we’re made of; we were proud of what we’d already achieved. We’re a small country, but we fight for what we want to achieve. For us, nothing is impossible.”
Cape Verde were anxious as they waited for news from the Spain v Uruguay match, but their coach said the ordeal revealed the true substance of his squad.
“The key? Our team’s unity and resilience,” he said. “We’ve always talked about our organisation, but also about our determination to do things without fear.
“It was a very difficult match that demanded a great deal of mental strength, as we were dependent on the result of the other match, but our team showed incredible character.”
‘WORK GIVES A PERSON DIGNITY’
Bubista said his players deserved praise not only for their football but for the way they carried themselves through the group stage.
“Work gives a person dignity,” Bubista said. “All the players understood the importance of day-to-day work.
“We told the players they had to work hard and have confidence because the reward would come. And here we are. The people of Cape Verde should be proud of what this team has done so far. It’s something incredible.”
Looking ahead to facing Lionel Messi’s Argentina, Bubista framed the encounter as an honour.
“It’s a country with which we have a long-standing connection, as many Cape Verdeans have emigrated there,” he said.
“We’ll play our game with the right attitude and a sense of responsibility, but also with our own personality and character. They have Messi, who needs no introduction.
“We represent our island, but we also represent Africa. It’s a source of immense pride. One of our objectives was to showcase the quality of our football and our country. This shows that even the smallest countries can prove that nothing is impossible when you have strength, determination, focus, willpower and resilience.”
(Reporting by Fernando KallasEditing by Toby Davis)
