Cabo Verde's calm approach fuels World Cup surprise

Cabo Verde's historic 0-0 draw against Spain on their FIFA World Cup debut sent shockwaves through Group H, but the Blue Sharks are not resting on their laurels. With a match against Uruguay looming, the team's calm and united approach remains unchanged.

Unity as the foundation

Midfielder Kevin Pina attributed the team's composure to their strong bond. "The secret is simple: our greatest strength is the unity within this group. Our brotherhood. We're all calm. We know our quality and we know what we're doing. We want to show the world who we are and take our country to an even higher level," Pina told FIFA.

He added, "My heart is at peace. After that first match, we realised it's nothing out of the ordinary. It's not something to be afraid of. Of course, there are players with tremendous quality, but once you step onto the pitch, everyone is equal. It comes down to who wants it more, who is willing to give everything for the cause."

Bubista's leadership sets the tone

Head coach Bubista has been the driving force behind the team's mindset. Before the Spain match, he insisted his squad had no reason to be nervous. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm calm. We didn't come here simply to take part. We came here to compete. My team has no reason to be nervous," Bubista said, while also expressing respect for their opponents.

"There is nothing quite like facing two World Cup winners [Spain and Uruguay] and Saudi Arabia, one of the strongest teams in Asia. It's an incredible opportunity to showcase our country to the world," he added.

Goalkeeper Vozinha's standout performance against Spain drew headlines, but the team's emotional control was equally impressive, even when facing a talent like Lamine Yamal. Bubista's message was clear: "Compete without fear."

Staying grounded amid growing support

Six days later, on the eve of the Uruguay match at Miami Stadium, Bubista's tone remained unchanged despite the increased attention. The coach and players have been touched by the enthusiasm from Cabo Verdeans worldwide and supporters from other nations.

"Everything that has happened has been very intense," admitted forward Garry Rodrigues. "Obviously, we're human. We see what people are saying. But we're professionals. We have players who are fully focused on a goal. The Spain game is now in the past."

Bubista acknowledged the celebrations but stressed the need for focus. "Our people have been celebrating, and celebrating a lot. I said before we arrived here that no one should celebrate more than us. We are a small country, but one that has the courage to fight for the most difficult things," he explained.

"On the other hand, the celebrations are happening more outside our camp than inside it. There have been moments of satisfaction, and we are happy to have shown not only that nothing is impossible, but also that smaller nations can stand shoulder to shoulder with the biggest teams and get results. But we remain very calm. We know our concentration has to be at 200%. We want to live in the present."

Looking ahead to Uruguay

Cabo Verde's next challenge is Uruguay, a former World Cup winner and South American champion. "We know Uruguay's strength. They are another World Cup winner and also [former] South American champions. But from the very beginning we have said that, regardless of the result against Spain, our mentality would remain strong," Bubista continued.

"Our idea is always to compete with courage and organisation, but also without fear. We will play – or at least try to play – our game. Defensively we performed well, and now we want to improve our attacking play. I hope we can do that."