“Our fate is to face champions”: Cape Verde president before Argentina | OneFootball

In statements to the news agency Inforpress, the president highlighted the Blue Sharks’ journey in the first World Cup in the country’s history and stressed that the squad will maintain the attitude shown throughout the tournament: «We are not afraid at all, and we go with the same faith and hope, above all with the same energy, the same commitment, the same character and the same determination with which we have built Cape Verde over these fifty years».

During an official visit to the Portuguese city of Coimbra, the head of state also referred to the challenge of facing the reigning world champion. “Our destiny in this World Cup is to face champions”, he said.

At the same time, his message was so optimistic that he even downplayed the statistics and argued that the outcome will depend on what his team does on the field. “For us, statistical probabilities do not matter. What matters is the sweat we leave on the field to show our energy, resilience, and ability”, he emphasized.

José María Neves, president of Cape Verde, believes his team can eliminate Argentina

On the other hand, Neves also praised goalkeeper Vozinha, one of the World Cup’s breakout players and a standout in the draw against Spain, and expressed his hope that he will once again be chosen as man of the match. He also believed that, whatever the result against La Albiceleste, Cape Verde “has already won its World Cup” because of the performances it has shown in the competition.

Lastly, he highlighted the impact the national team’s run has had on the country and said it can serve as inspiration beyond sports. “Fifty years ago, Cape Verde was an unlikely country. Today we are among the best in the world. If we can be among the best in football, we can also be among the best in health, education, and other areas. The important thing is to pursue excellence”, he concluded.

Cape Verde will face Argentina in the World Cup round of 32

Cape Verde is playing in the first World Cup in its history and advanced to the round of 32 after drawing with Spain (0-0), Uruguay (2-2), and Saudi Arabia (0-0) in the group stage, results that turned it into the tournament’s surprise team.

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