Cape Verdean coach Bubista hopes his team’s bid to show it can be competitive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will inspire underdogs across Africa to believe there are no limits to their dreams.
The Blue Sharks more than proved their point as they produced a brilliant defensive display on their World Cup debut to hold European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw on Monday.
They take on South American powerhouse Uruguay at the Miami Stadium on Sunday as they look to stay on course for their goal of reaching the knockout stages of Group H.
“We don’t just represent Cape Verde, we also represent Africa, with all the problems we have on our continent,” Bubista said on Saturday.
“If a country like ours can realize this dream and compete here with the best teams in the world, it means that every child in Africa… can have this dream.
“The goal is that this dream can help them believe that they can achieve any goal.”
Bubista said his side’s World Cup campaign was also aimed at putting Cape Verdeans, not only those born on the islands but also in the diaspora, firmly on the world map.
“We have worked, searched and strived for many years to make our country known to the world,” he added.
“You can see how happy our people everywhere are because of what the team has achieved.
“But more than that, our national team shows our identity: organization, fighting for things even when we know they are difficult, and fighting to achieve them with character and determination.”
Bubista said the players were confident in the strategies that kept Spain goalless, but said the team would try to be more on the attack against Uruguay and in the final group match against Saudi Arabia.
“We would have liked to do more in attack, but we have to understand the quality of Spain,” he said.
“Obviously we feel like we can do more offensively, and we’ll try to do that in the next two games.”
The result in Spain caused a tsunami of support for and interest in the Cape Verdean team, not least Player of the Match Vozinha.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper gained millions of followers on Instagram overnight and his post-match tears because his mother was not in the stadium to watch his big moment generated enormous sympathy.
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That wave of support prompted the U.S. State Department to take action, allowing Vozinha’s mother to arrive in Miami on Friday in plenty of time for Sunday’s game.
Bubista said he wasn’t worried that all the outside noise had been a distraction for his players this week.
“We are happy with the impact, because above all we have shown that nothing is impossible,” he said.
«We as a team are focused. We are very calm. We know we have to be 200% concentrated. Our team is very united and has a lot of enthusiasm.»
Published on June 21, 2026
