Cape Verde coach Bubista praised his players after they reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the country’s history.
The small African nation booked a place in the round of 32 after a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Cape Verde finished the group stage unbeaten with three draws. They then waited on the pitch and watched Spain beat Uruguay 1-0. That result sent them into the knockout stage.
Bubista arrived at his post match press conference with the Cape Verde flag over his shoulders. He said the success came through hard work, discipline and belief.
“I’m proud of what they’ve achieved,” he said. “To finish the first phase without losing a single match, we have to be pleased. It was down to organisation and team spirit.
“Our fans deserve all of this. We were one goal short of being even better, of being even happier. The team did everything they could to win and I’m pleased.”
Cape Verde became the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup knockout stage. They will now face defending champions Argentina in the round of 32.
Bubista admitted the achievement still felt surprising.
“It’s a bit of a shock, although we’d always had it in mind that we might reach this stage after the first two matches,” he said.
“The team was really keen to show the whole world what we’re made of. We were proud of what we’d already achieved. We’re a small country, but we fight for what we want to achieve. For us, nothing is impossible.”
The coach said his players showed great mental strength while waiting for the final result from the Spain against Uruguay match.
“The key? Our team’s unity and resilience,” he said. “We’ve always talked about our organisation, but also about our determination to do things without fear.
“It was a very difficult match that demanded a great deal of mental strength, as we were dependent on the result of the other match, but our team showed incredible character.”
Bubista also praised his squad for their work during the tournament.
“Work gives a person dignity,” he said. “All the players understood the importance of day to day work.
“We told the players they had to work hard and have confidence because the reward would come. And here we are. The people of Cape Verde should be proud of what this team has done so far. It’s something incredible.”
Bubista said facing Lionel Messi’s Argentina would be a proud moment for his team.
“It’s a country with which we have a long standing connection, as many Cape Verdeans have emigrated there,” he said.
“We’ll play our game with the right attitude and a sense of responsibility, but also with our own personality and character. They have Messi, who needs no introduction.
“We represent our island, but we also represent Africa. It’s a source of immense pride. One of our objectives was to showcase the quality of our football and our country. This shows that even the smallest countries can prove that nothing is impossible when you have strength, determination, focus, willpower and resilience.”
