Thousands welcome home Cape Verde footballers after historic World Cup run
Cape Verde's national football team returned home to a massive welcome from tens of thousands of fans after a remarkable World Cup campaign where they earned draws against Spain and Argentina and were eliminated only in extra time by the tournament favorites.
Thousands of jubilant supporters greeted Cape Verde's national football team, the Blue Sharks, as they arrived in the capital city of Praia on Sunday. Fans turned the airport grounds into a carnival, beating drums, dancing, chanting, and waving the national flag.
Goalkeeper Vozinha (real name Josimar José Évora Dias), who gained global attention for his performances, told the BBC: "This is a very great moment for us to be here with our people. We wanted something bigger but we didn't go to the next stage. Now we just enjoy the moment and celebrate with our people."
One supporter said she attended the homecoming to show her gratitude to the team, which represented the second-smallest nation in the World Cup and had never played in the tournament before, yet held their own against giants like Spain and Uruguay. Fans at the airport chanted Vozinha's name and those of other stars such as centre-back Pico Lopes. Players signed autographs on fans' shirts.
The homecoming coincided with Cape Verde's Independence Day, marking 51 years since the end of Portuguese colonial rule.
Cape Verde entered the World Cup ranked 67th in the world, but three group-stage draws – including holding European champions Spain 0-0 – set up the monumental task of trying to cause one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Against Argentina, they fell behind to a Messi goal, equalized, and took the game to extra time, where they again leveled at 1-1. However, a cruel deflection off Diney Borges from Cristian Romero's header saw Argentina through.
Despite the defeat, coach Pedro Leitão Brito, known as Bubista, expressed pride in a team that came within 10 minutes of forcing Argentina into a penalty shootout. "We showed that we may be a small country but we can play against the best teams in the world. That's a reason for pride. We made history for our country. They can be proud for representing our country," he said.
