Won't cheer goals: Custodio Mendes torn for Argentina v Cape Verde | OneFootball

Adriano Tomás Custodio Mendes weighed in on the historic clash between Argentina and Cape Verde in the 2026 World Cup round of 32, a match set to be played this Friday, July 3, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The former midfielder, known for being the first African footballer to play in official AFA competitions, admitted he has mixed feelings ahead of the knockout match.

“My heart is divided. I know where I come from, where I was born, what my roots are. Obviously, Argentina gave me everything, everything, but I’m not going to betray my blood either,” Mendes confessed in an interview with Olé. The former player said he will experience the match without fanaticism and took a firm stance: “I’m not going to celebrate a goal by Cape Verde or Argentina.”

Bilardo’s memory and Africa’s present

Estudiantes de La Plata left a lasting mark on Mendes’s career, where he won the 1983 Nacional Tournament and made 53 official appearances before wearing the shirts of Temperley, Colón, San Martín de Tucumán, and Chacarita. Patricio Hernández, whom he considers “a brother,” described him on TN as a “left-footed footballer, good in the air, intelligent and sharp.”

When analyzing the current state of the national team coached by Bubista, the former footballer recalled a historic phrase by Carlos Salvador Bilardo to explain the evolution of his homeland. “It’s like Bilardo said many years ago: ‘Africa will one day be a powerhouse,’ and I think today it is,” he said on ESPN, where he also pointed out that many of the players who shone in Portugal’s league were born in Cape Verde, expressing enormous happiness over this unique achievement.

The pain of Miguel Ángel Russo’s passing

Mendes also took a moment to express his sadness over the recent death of Miguel Ángel Russo, with whom he shared the championship-winning squad at Pincha. “Obviously, what happened to Russo hurts; I’ve known him for many years. It hurt me to see him in recent times in the condition he was in,” he lamented bluntly. Despite the loss, the former midfielder chose to remember the former coach with a smile and an anecdote that sums up the camaraderie within that group: “He was the only teammate I had at Estudiantes who never kicked me in training.”

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