Cape Verde drew all three of their group games on their World Cup debut, finished second in Group H, and took defending champions Argentina to extra time before losing 3-2 in the round of 32. They became the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup knockout stage.
Key Facts
- Group H: 0-0 with Spain, 2-2 with Uruguay, 0-0 with Saudi Arabia.
- Finished second in the group with three points, from three draws.
- Round of 32: lost 3-2 to Argentina after extra time.
- Kevin Pina scored the country’s first World Cup goal.
- Population of just under 525,000, the third-lowest of any World Cup qualifier.
The Group Stage
Cape Verde opened with a 0-0 draw against Spain in Atlanta, their first World Cup point. Reports named 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha as the hero of the match. Against Uruguay they drew 2-2, with Pina scoring in the 21st minute for the country’s first World Cup goal. Hélio Varela is also listed as a scorer in that match. A 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia finished a group in which they scored two goals, conceded two and went unbeaten.
The Round of 32: Argentina
Cape Verde, ranked 61st in the world, faced Argentina at Miami Stadium on July 3. Lionel Messi scored in the first half, his 20th World Cup goal, and Deroy Duarte equalised for Cape Verde. In extra time, Sidny Lopes Cabral struck from inside the box in the 103rd minute to make it 2-2, which seemed to point towards a penalty shootout. Messi then delivered a corner and Cristian Romero headed in the winner in the 111th minute.
What It Means
Cape Verde’s run made them the smallest nation, by population, ever to reach the knockout stage of a World Cup. Reigning champions Spain, whom they held to a draw, went on to win the tournament; read about their defence in our pieces on Unai Simon and Pau Cubarsi. Other round of 32 stories: Morocco’s penalty win over the Netherlands and Paraguay’s win over Germany.
Sources: Wikipedia: Cape Verde at the FIFA World Cup, AJC on Argentina v Cape Verde, The Star on Spain v Cape Verde.