Cape Verde will open their first-ever World Cup campaign against European champions Spain on Monday, with head coach Bubista saying his side are determined not only to embrace the occasion but also to compete at the highest level despite a daunting start.
The debutants face one of the tournament favorites in their Group H opener, but the team has stressed that qualification alone represents a historic achievement they intend to celebrate while making their mark on the global stage.
“We’ve been discussing how much we want to enjoy the match and the World Cup,” Bubista told reporters on Sunday. “We’ve already said that our qualification for the World Cup means more than just football. It’s a cultural, a musical achievement. We want to display our country, so it’s an amazing opportunity to be able to show our country to the world. We are very much happy to face Spain in our opener. It’s a wonderful start. This is a dream coming true.”
Bubista said the focus for Cape Verde extends beyond results, emphasizing national identity and representation as key themes for the squad’s World Cup journey in a group that also includes Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
“We want to show everything we’ve prepared for during the qualification period. We want to compete and bring our identity,” he said. “Being able to play these three matches that we have in this group stage with courage and determination showing to the world who we are as a team, but also as a country.”
“When we mention our identity, we are actually talking about who we are as a people. We like challenges and difficulties because we like overcoming difficulties. Our flag will be flying, that is the main thing, among the flags of the strongest teams in the world.”
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said earlier Sunday that Cape Verde could be capable of causing an upset, but Bubista insisted his team would not approach the tournament passively.
“We didn’t come here just to take part, we came here to compete, and that is clear for our team,” he said. “Our team is prepared to play in an offensive manner if needed, and we want to show this. Throughout all of this time our team has given proof of maturity, and I hope that this will continue.”
