Footballer frozen out at Benfica gets national team call-up | OneFootball

Sidny Lopes Cabral, Benfica's winger/full-back, has been called up to represent the Cape Verde national team in the upcoming international fixtures against Chile and Finland. The young player from Benfica is thus included in the list of options for another round of national team matches.

The first match is scheduled for March 27, against Chile, at Eden Park in New Zealand, starting at 03:00 (Portugal Mainland time). The second challenge will be played on March 30, against Finland, at the same venue, with kickoff set for 04:00.

The call-up is an important opportunity for the athlete to gain playing time, at a time when he has had little use at Benfica. His presence in the national team could allow him to gain competitive rhythm and showcase his value, as he has not convinced the decision-makers at Clube da Luz.

It should be noted that Sidny has not played since February 25, in a Champions League match against Real Madrid. At the end of that game, he was involved in a controversial incident, asking Vinícius Júnior for his jersey, a player who accused Gianluca Prestianni of alleged racist insults.

In the current 2025/26 sports season, Sidny Cabral - valued at 5 million euros - has played 11 matches for Benfica: seven in the Liga Portugal Betclic, two in the Champions League, one in the Portuguese Cup, and one in the League Cup. The footballer has scored one goal and provided three assists.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.