As morna music dey flow for Cabo Verde, with songs wey dey tell story of people wey leave dey go abroad. But now, instead of sadness, hope dey full air because de national football team, de Blue Sharks, don qualify for World Cup.
Cabo Verde na de third smallest population wey don make am to World Cup, after Iceland for 2018 and Curacao dis year. De team mix local talent with players wey born for outside, like Roberto Lopes wey born for Ireland and Logan Costa wey born for France but dey play for Villarreal for Spain.
De team perform well for qualifiers, winning seven out of ten matches and losing only once. Dem even beat Cameroon for home. Now dem go face Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia for group stage. Fans get strong belief say dem fit win at least one match.
For Mindelo, people dey gather for bars and restaurants, dey talk about de World Cup. Anton Delgado, 25, say he dey proud and dey hope for victory. Noaela Delgardo, 22, wey work for Cafe Royal, say de tournament go give Cabo Verde more visibility for world.
De country feel isolated sometimes, with only one direct flight to US, to Providence, Rhode Island. But Jorge Goncales, 69, say de World Cup na opportunity to connect with world: ‘De whole world dey come to us. Now we go go to world.’
De coach Pedro Leitao Brito, wey dem call Bubista, win Coach of Year for Africa last year. He say dem want to show say small country fit compete with big teams. ‘We know say e hard, but we want show say nothing impossible,’ he tell CNN.
