Adriano Custodio Mendes, first African in Argentina | OneFootball

Adriano Custodio Mendes, born in the African nation but having built much of his life in Argentina, admits that the match has left him with “his heart split in two.”

Custodio Mendes arrived in the country in 1974, when he was 12, after his father’s death. Without knowing the language and facing the pain of uprooting, he found in football a place to rebuild his life. Over time, he became the first footballer born in Africa to play professionally in Argentina.

He started in the youth ranks of Estudiantes de La Plata, where he was influenced by a young Carlos Bilardo. Later, he went on to have a long career in Argentine football, wearing the shirts of: Estudiantes, Temperley, Colón, San Martín de Tucumán, and Chacarita.

“I never thought a football match could split my heart in two,” he recently admitted in an interview with Infobae. A year earlier, when the possibility of a World Cup meeting still seemed remote, he had already made his stance clear. “I’ve been living in Argentina for 51 years, I have Argentine children, and I love this country. But my roots are my roots. If Argentina and Cape Verde play, I’ll be cheering for Cape Verde,” he had said.

Cape Verde’s qualification for the first World Cup in its history also carried special meaning for the former defender. “For me, it’s a source of pride to have been the first Cape Verdean to play in Argentine football. Having Cape Verde at a World Cup means many people will get to know our country,” he said after the historic qualification.

Although a few years ago he moved back permanently to Cape Verde, Custodio Mendes never stopped feeling connected to Argentina. “Cape Verde gave me life and my roots, but Argentina gave me everything. I grew up here, started my family, and built my career,” summed up the man who now, more than ever, will have to divide his heart between two flags.

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