Much has been said about the Blue Sharks since they earned a hard-fought point against 2010 world champions Spain, holding them to a goalless share of the spoils with a defensive masterclass.
In their maiden campaign at a FIFA World Cup with a population similar to that of Bristol and Bournemouth, Kevin Pina continued their fairytale story on 21 minutes as he opened the scoring with an excellent driven strike from a free-kick from distance.
However, the two-time winners fought back and went in at the break with a one-goal cushion thanks to Maximiliano Araújo and Agustín Canobbio.
Nonetheless, this Cape Verde side just doesn’t know when it is beaten and they equalised just after the hour-mark as Hélio Varela seized upon a Uruguay defensive lapse and coolly dispatched his effort past the oncoming Fernando Muslera.
Against all odds, the third-smallest nation ever to compete in the tournament now have a chance to reach the knockout stages when they meet Saudi Arabia on Saturday having already captured the imagination of the footballing world.
Prepared to achieve the impossible dream
The national hero, who has been in the dugout since the start of 2020, has his sights firmly set on securing a monumental qualification in their final group stage clash. The national hero's vision
“We said this from the beginning - we said we wanted to compete at the highest level and more than the result itself, it’s about being able to demonstrate our identity,” he poignantly outlined.
“Our strength, our unity and our resilience are our strengths and I think that it is legitimate to think that we can qualify for the second phase.
“We know the quality of our opponents but we are at a point where we can clearly say that we are going to fight for qualification.
“For what we have already done against two world-class teams, we obviously have to think about wanting to qualify.
"We are very, very satisfied with this start but from the first matchday onwards, we knew any of today’s results would put us in a position to fight for qualification.
“Since the first game, we have had this desire to show the whole world that we’re in a position to fight and I think we demonstrated that today in a very tough game.”
Sights set on Saudi Arabia
A win against a struggling Saudi outfit would be enough to see the Blue Sharks progress, a clash in which they will now look at with increasing confidence having held the two group favourites to draws.
Bubista is remaining level-headed though, expressing how they must respect their opponents qualities.
“I don’t see any advantage,” the 56-year-old said.
“We know the value of Saudi Arabia and we have to respect our opponent for everything that they have done.
“Our team needs to keep their feet on the ground knowing it will be a difficult game.
“They also have a chance of qualifying so that is why I don’t see any advantage.
“We have the correct attitude to face the game with maximum sportsmanship and I think we owe this to all of our opponents.”
Putting Cape Verde on the global stage
The population and size of the nation in comparison to other powerhouses in the tournament is note-worthy, particularly when taking into account a majority of their squad ply their trade in the lower leagues of Spanish football.
Bubista hopes his side’s performances on the biggest stage can put Cape Verde on the map but not just for their footballing accomplishments.
“We want to show our country to the world, not just in terms of the football played but in terms of everything: our culture, our music and our fans in the stadium,” the 21-time capped Cape Verde international stated.
“We want people everywhere to get to know Cape Verde for who we are, starting with our team.
“We owe this to all of our African people and we are also here to demonstrate that a country can be small but if it has resilience, it can also compete with the great nations who have a different level of players and resources.”
Bubista speaks with an infectious belief which embodies Cape Verde's ambition, yet their story could only just be getting started.
