Cape Verde, a small nation of 520,000 people, reached the last 32 of the World Cup unbeaten with three draws in its first-ever appearance at the tournament. The team held Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia at bay, producing the biggest upset of the North American World Cup, led by goalkeeper Vozinha.
0-0 Draw Secures Second Place in Group, Dramatic Advance
Cape Verde finished goalless against Saudi Arabia in the third Group H match of the North American World Cup, played at Houston Stadium in Texas on Thursday. Adding three points, Cape Verde secured a spot in the last 32 as the runner-up in Group H.
Before the match, Cape Verde had been in third place in the group with two points, while Saudi Arabia sat at the bottom with one point.
Early on, Saudi Arabia, which had to win, clearly sought to control the flow of the match. In the 47th minute of the first half, Mohammed Kanno connected with a header off a cross from Abdulelah Al-Amri, but Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha calmly cleared it away.
In the second half, Cape Verde ramped up the pressure toward the Saudi goal. In the 5th minute of the second half, Kevin Pina attempted a long-range shot with his left foot but missed the target. In the 30th minute of the second half, Laros Duarte seized a one-on-one chance inside the penalty area on a counterattack but was denied by Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais. In second-half stoppage time, even a shot by Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Al-Hamdan landed in Vozinha's hands, and the match ended 0-0.
The moment the final whistle blew, Cape Verde's players wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders and erupted in cheers. Having never lost in three matches against Spain (0-0), Uruguay (2-2) and Saudi Arabia (0-0), Cape Verde wrote new history with three draws and an unbeaten record.
Island Nation Under One Million Population Stands Before Defending Champion
Cape Verde is an archipelago nation made up of 15 islands rising in the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of the African continent. Its total area is about one-25th that of Korea, and its population is found to be about one-100th.
Its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is reported to be $5,300 (about 8.1 million won), and it gained independence from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975. None of the national team players come from prestigious clubs, but most are known to have competed across European stages and built solid individual skills.
Cape Verde's next opponent is defending champion Argentina, which advanced to the last 32 as the top team in Group J. The two will clash for a ticket to the round of 16 at 7 a.m. on July 4 at Miami Stadium in the United States.
A Nation That Once Had No Stadium Is Writing a World Cup Miracle
