Cape Verde celebrated in the streets with the same euphoria of a victory following the scoreless draw today achieved by the “Blue Sharks” against Spain at the Atlanta Stadium in the United States, marking their debut point in a football World Cup.
“We may have a one percent chance, but we have ninety-nine percent faith,” John Nunes told Lusa, standing among a crowd of hundreds who followed the historic debut point in Palmarejo Square, located in the Cape Verdean capital of Praia.
The nation ground to a halt during the afternoon to witness what many classified as a historical moment regardless of the final scoreline because fifty-one years after achieving its independence, Cape Verde made its debut and drew with Spain.
“Now we are going to do everything we can to win our next matches and we are going to go all the way to the very end,” said Patrick Gomes, while hugging his friends amidst an atmosphere of excitement that was difficult to control.
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Mayra Delgado also celebrated, jumping up and down amidst the music and the sounding of many car horns, expressing that they were all very happy to have tied the match against Spain and that the result felt just like a victory.
Some fans could barely speak due to the overwhelming emotion of the moment, with Cristiano Silva trying to find the right words through tears of joy to describe it as an emotional and very significant result before looking ahead to the next game.
Mayra, a Cape Verdean supporter dressed in full fan gear, did not stop dancing and stated that she was left completely speechless, adding that everyone was united for one single purpose and that despite being a small country, their hope was ocean-sized.
“Either way we are already extremely proud of having made it as far as we have, and we are here to give all our strength to the boys who are out there playing on the pitch,” the passionate supporter further noted.
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The gathered crowd in the capital city was mostly composed of young people, and Ney Moreira spoke of this memorable day as the fulfillment of a great dream, stating that they were proud and would remain Cape Verde in victory, draw, or defeat.
In Palmarejo Square, also known as Center Square, the atmosphere shifted with each Cape Verdean attack, bringing waves of applause, vuvuzelas, waving flags, and chants that brought together children, young adults, and the elderly alike.
Every time Cape Verde recovered possession of the ball, the square stood up in excitement, which also happened with the great saves made by Vozinha, the goalkeeper of the Blue Sharks whose name was enthusiastically chanted multiple times.
Up on the temporary stands installed for the public broadcast, almost nobody remained seated during the tense match, and in the end, general celebrations took over all the streets with music, numerous car caravans, and constant honking.
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Monica Andrade summarized the feeling of the historic day in just a few short words, stating that the final result did not matter because they were vibrating along with the players and feeling intensely proud of the team.
Cape Verde is placed in Group H of the World Cup and is scheduled to face the national team of Uruguay on June twenty-first in Miami, followed by their final group stage match against Saudi Arabia on June twenty-six in Houston.
Several murals painted across the city evoke this sporting campaign, while national flags have multiplied on home balconies, in local shops, bars, and on cars over the last few days and are promised to remain flying high.
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