Cape Verde population celebrations spilled across Praia and the nine inhabited islands after the team drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia on Friday and reached the World Cup knockout stage. Janice Miranda, watching with thousands on the beach, said the scene was unforgettable.
“It was simply incredible,” Miranda said after the match. She added: “Seeing so many Cape Verdeans, along with so many tourists and visitors, celebrating this important milestone with us was an unforgettable experience. Our Blue Sharks’ World Cup campaign has been phenomenal. We’re all incredibly proud of them.”
Praia fan zones expand
Free fan zones were set up across Praia and the nine inhabited islands, turning the team’s run into a public gathering point rather than a single-match celebration. In Praia, Joao Pina said: “For the Spain game everyone was given a half day off.” He added: “But really we can say no one worked that day.”
The scale is different from before the World Cup, when Cape Verde’s flag was mostly seen at the Presidential Palace or on some public buildings. Miranda said: “Before the World Cup, you would mostly see our flag at the Presidential Palace or on some public buildings. But now, everyone is proudly displaying it,” and: “You can see Cape Verdean flags on houses, cars, and motorbikes all across the country.”
Mindelo and the 1% chance
In Mindelo, teacher Anibele Lizardo said: “It’s a party. Each game is a party,” and: “They told us we had a 1% chance to win but we don’t care about the odds. We just want to party.” That contrast captures the run’s scale: Cape Verde only entered World Cup qualifying in 2000, yet it is now headed for a knockout match as the smallest nation in history to do so.
Cape Verde will face Argentina in Miami on Friday, and the next step is straightforward for supporters: the celebrations continue, but the country now turns to a match that sits beyond anything it has reached before. How the run changes life after Miami is the question left open.
