PRAIA, Cape Verde (AP) — Cape Verde fans celebrated late into the night after a historic game world cup debut It saw the country do well A stunning victory over European champions Spain.
The small country of 500,000 people made its first appearance at the World Cup on Monday, holding Spain scoreless to a 0-0 draw thanks to heroics from the team. 40 year old goalkeeper And tenacious defense.
In the capital Praia, fans packed viewing parties and main roads to celebrate a match against Spain that many saw as unimaginable, singing and dancing to celebrate victory in the match and a fair bet on the tournament as a whole.
Tears rolled down their cheeks as people hugged each other tightly and climbed poles to catch a glimpse of the cityscape.
“I didn’t expect us to hold on in such a hotly contested and difficult game,” Praia fan William Gomez said of Monday’s debut. “Thanks to Vosinha’s performance, he is one of the best players in the team at the moment,” he said of the veteran goalkeeper.
Although Cape Verde did not win, their performance shocked many around the world and rebuked some critics who said the expansion of this year’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams would weaken the tournament with fewer interesting matches.
The island group off the west coast of Africa, with a population of around 500,000, is the third-smallest country to qualify for the World Cup.
“Cape Verde is only a small country, but today we feel that it is a wonderful and important country. We don’t even have enough words to express how we feel. We Cape Verdeans are truly blessed,” said Praia resident Vladimir Garcia.
Ahead of the match, the Cape Verdean government declared a half-day holiday on Monday so the public could cheer on the national team.
“If today, 50 years later, we are participating in the World Cup, we have already proven that we are a viable country,” Cape Verdean President José María Neves said on social media, referring to when the country gained independence from Portugal.
“As well as celebrating the past, we must reimagine the future and believe that it is possible to build a modern and prosperous country with opportunities for all in all areas of life over the next 50 years,” he added.
