Cape Verde moved to within touching distance of the World Cup knockout stage after holding Uruguay to a 2-2 draw on Sunday, with coach Bubista declaring that qualification is now the team’s clear objective heading into their final Group H match.
The World Cup debutants followed up their surprise goalless draw against Spain with another eye-catching result on Sunday, taking a point off the South American heavyweights to stay firmly in the hunt for a place in the last 32. Ranked 63rd in the world, Cape Verde will head into their final Group H match against Saudi Arabia knowing that victory could secure a historic progression from the group stage.
FIFA WORLD CUP 2026, URUGUAY VS CAPE VERDE HIGHLIGHTS
Speaking after the match, Bubista said his team had shown that belief and determination can bridge the gap between football’s traditional powers and smaller nations. “Once you’re on the pitch, a lot of things become equal. As big as the opponent might be on the world stage, many national teams become equal,” Bubista told reporters.
“We wanted to show that not only in football, but also in other aspects of life.
“Show that you can achieve great things regardless of your challenges, whether they’re financial or of any other kind. Just so long as you have a dream and chase after it.”
Cape Verde’s performances have turned heads across the tournament. Draws against former world champions Spain and Uruguay have left them third in Group H on two points, level with Uruguay and two behind leaders Spain. Saudi Arabia sit bottom with one point ahead of the final round of fixtures.
Those results have encouraged Bubista to think beyond simply competing on the world’s biggest stage.
“Considering what we’ve done with two international-grade teams, I think our focus has to be qualifying,” he said.
“If we were to think about that, I think it’s only legitimate to do so considering what we’ve done. But also, we know that any one of these teams also has the opportunity to move forward.”
For Bubista, however, the tournament is about more than results. The coach believes Cape Verde’s presence at the World Cup offers an opportunity to introduce the nation to a global audience.
“We’re here to show our country to the entire world. So it’s not just about how we play football. It’s about everything, our culture, our music, our history, our supporters – all of that,” he said.
“We want people everywhere around the world to know Cape Verde for what we are, showing our people’s identity.”
Despite the growing optimism, Bubista warned against complacency ahead of the decisive clash with Saudi Arabia, who also remain in contention for qualification.
“They have to keep their feet on the ground. We know this will also be a challenging match. Saudi Arabia also has the possibility of qualifying,” he said.
“Obviously, these will be challenging matches for all teams, but we will definitely try to win.”
Earlier, Bubista shared a moment with Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa, presenting the veteran Argentine with a gift as a mark of respect.
“For me and for many other coaches, in Africa especially, Bielsa is a master. We’ve studied what he did throughout his career,” Bubista said.
“I was really happy to be able to meet him personally.”
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