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Cabo Verde's veteran goalkeeper Vozinha has called on his nation to stand united as the FIFA World Cup debutants prepare for the biggest match in their football history against defending champions Argentina in the Round of 32.
The Blue Sharks have emerged as one of the surprise packages of the tournament, becoming the smallest nation ever to qualify for the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup. Their disciplined performances in the group stage included a goalless draw against European champions Spain, a thrilling 2-2 draw with Uruguay, and another clean sheet in a 0-0 stalemate against Saudi Arabia. Cabo Verde also became the first team since Chile at the 1998 FIFA World Cup to progress beyond the group stage after drawing all three of their group matches, underlining their resilience against higher-ranked opposition. Ahead of the historic clash with Argentina, Vozinha shared an emotional message on social media, urging the nation to dream together. "Tomorrow, we take the field with the opportunity to continue writing one of the most beautiful chapters in the history of our sport and our country. But more than just eleven players, an entire nation will be stepping onto the pitch. Because tomorrow, there are no islands. There is no distance. There are no borders. Tomorrow we are one. One people, one flag, one heart beating for Cape Verde. May our strength, our culture, our morabeza (spirit), and our courage be felt from the first until the very last minute. Our land, Our people, Our dream," said Vozinha. The 40-year-old goalkeeper has been one of the architects of Cabo Verde's remarkable campaign. His two clean sheets in the tournament have placed him alongside two legendary names in FIFA World Cup history. According to OptaJose, Vozinha became only the third goalkeeper to record multiple clean sheets at a World Cup after turning 40, joining England great Peter Shilton and Italy legend Dino Zoff. Shilton tops the list with three clean sheets after the age of 40, while Zoff and Vozinha have two each. Argentina, meanwhile, is taking nothing for granted. Following their final group-stage match against Jordan, head coach Lionel Scaloni acknowledged the challenge posed by the tournament debutants, warning that Cabo Verde "will make things difficult" for the reigning world champions as they chase another famous result. (ANI)
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