News, goals, and analysis – only on the official A BOLA app. World Cup The Cape Verde national team achieved a historic feat by qualifying for the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, following a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia in Houston. Coach Bubista did not hide his pride and is already looking forward to the match against Argentina in the next stage. The ‘Blue Sharks’ secured second place in Group H, thanks to draws against Spain, Uruguay, and finally, Saudi Arabia. After qualifying, Bubista, wrapped in his country’s flag, recalled that the team believed in their qualification. “It’s still fresh, of course we thought about all this, we believed it was an opportunity to reach this point. We thought it was possible,” said the coach. The next opponent, to be played on Friday in Miami, will be Argentina. Bubista approaches the challenge with enthusiasm, despite acknowledging the strength of the opponent. “It is a pride to measure forces with Argentina. It is a country with which we have historical ties; many Cape Verdeans emigrated to Argentina, but it is our will to do things according to our identity,” he emphasized. The Cape Verdean coach acknowledged the difficulties but promised a fearless team. “We will play responsibly, knowing that Argentina has the best players in the world and Lionel Messi, who, for many, is the greatest of all time. We know the challenges we will face, but we always try to overcome them without fear and with discipline,” he assured. The coach highlighted the group’s mentality as key to success. “The team had this spirit to show this to the whole world; we are very proud to advance to the next stage. We are a small country, but we fight for what we want to achieve,” he added, revealing that the recipe for this unprecedented achievement was “the unity of our team, a lot of mental strength.” This will be Cape Verde’s third encounter against a world champion in this edition, an unprecedented feat for a debuting national team, which arrives at this match with a series of nine official matches without losing. “It is a source of satisfaction for everyone. One of the goals is to show our country to the world. Facing Argentina and Messi at this time is excellent,” concluded Bubista.
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