Cape Verde are heading into their World Cup round of 32 clash with Argentina convinced they can cause one of the tournament’s biggest shocks. Coach Pedro Leitao Brito, known as Bubista, said his players will not approach the reigning champions with fear.
“There’s belief and conviction and that’s very helpful,” he said, adding that Cape Verde will be “brave and bold” as they chase a place in the next round.
Cape Verde’s message before the match
Bubista said his side want to play with courage and ambition rather than simply contain Lionel Messi. “We will play with courage. We will be bold and fight for the qualification,” he said.
He also stressed that his team can create problems for Argentina, saying, “We know this will be a very difficult game, but we can hurt our opponent. We are brave and ambitious and we will play to win.”
| Team | Context | Notable Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Verde | Round of 32 | Smallest nation to ever progress from the group stage at a World Cup |
| Argentina | Reigning champions | Led by Lionel Messi |
Messi remains central, but not the only concern
Messi has scored six goals in three games at the World Cup and is expected to return to the team after not starting Argentina’s final group stage match against Jordan. Even so, Bubista said Cape Verde’s plan will not focus only on stopping the 39-year-old.
“We as a team have our own strategy, not only against Messi but the whole team,” he said. “They are the current world champions and one of the best teams in the tournament. We will play against the whole team.”
How Cape Verde reached this stage
Cape Verde, a nation of about 500,000 people, advanced from Group H after three draws against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. That run has given Bubista confidence that the team belongs on this stage.
He pointed to recent knockout-round upsets, including Paraguay’s win over Germany, as proof that smaller sides can compete with the biggest names.
“The so-called small teams have shown they can compete on the same playing level with the so-called superior teams,” he said. “Argentina will be challenging for us, but we want it to be challenging for them too.”
For Bubista, the match is not only about survival but belief. “We are here on merit,” he said, after insisting that Cape Verde have already shown they can compete at a high level.
