Sidny Lopes Cabral made history in the World Cup at the 103rd minute of the match between Cape Verde and Argentina in the Round of 32 on July 3. The 23-year-old winger scored an incredible goal from a tight angle to equalize in extra time. Argentina would score again before the 120th minute, but even an own goal by Diney Borges (111′) did not tarnish Cape Verde’s remarkable campaign in their World Cup debut. Sidny recalled the match against the Pampas team, advice from a former captain, and a message from one of his idols in conversations with various media outlets. — How are you feeling about Cape Verde’s campaign in the World Cup? — I feel very good about what we achieved and very honored by the respect we received from everyone for the way we played. Honestly, I knew people recognized me, but they were usually Portuguese fans or Benfica supporters. Now everyone knows me and wants to take a picture. I am very happy with our performance and, of course, with my goal. I can’t believe I scored such a beautiful goal. — What were you thinking at the moment of your winning shot against Argentina? — When I dribbled inside and saw some space, I just thought ‘I’m going to shoot.’ I aimed for the top corner and struck the ball perfectly. When I shot, I looked up, saw the ball going into the top corner, and thought ‘What did I just do?’ I couldn’t even believe it. I didn’t know what to do. I looked at my teammates; everyone was screaming and had their hands on their heads, happy. I was just running, not thinking. Then I realized I had scored a very beautiful goal. — Why did you decide to run to the stands? — I told my girlfriend and my mother before the game that if I scored, I would go to them. I said it from the first game against Spain, always showing them where they would sit before each game and saying ‘If I score, I will come to you.’ When I realized I had scored, I ran to them. When I got there, I saw my mother crying; she didn’t realize I was there. Everyone was focused on her because she fainted when I scored. Then my girlfriend came to me, I hugged her and whispered in her ear: ‘I told you I would score, I love you.’ — How did you meet? — I was very young, playing in the fifth division in Germany. It was long-distance, but she always supported me, no matter where I was or what I did. In the beginning, when we talked, I was on the bench in the fifth division. She was always there for me in tough times, supported me a lot, and visited me every month. She helped me a lot in my journey to get where I am now. — Just over a year ago, you were playing in the third division in Germany. What were the main reasons for such a significant evolution? — Hard work and faith. I always believed in myself, even when I was in the fifth division. When I was crying in my room because I wanted to go back to the Netherlands, I still believed I would reach the top. I always worked hard, did more than my teammates. — How was it to face Lionel Messi? — Incredible. I didn’t realize I was playing against him during the game. You’re focused on the game, but then you look at him and think: ‘Did I really just play against Messi?’ But you don’t become a fan because you have to beat him. After the game, I couldn’t talk to him. I was sad, crying, and didn’t want to talk to anyone. Otamendi came to me after the game and gave me some kind words: ‘Cheer up, don’t cry, you did something fantastic, what you all achieved is very good.’ After the game, I received a message from Marcelo. He is one of my biggest idols. When I received his message, I couldn’t believe it. I always admired him when I was younger. He is a left-back, plays with both feet, and had very good technique. He said he voted for me for the best goal of the tournament. — Do you think you can win the award for the best goal of the World Cup? — I hope so. I hope no one scores a goal better than mine. — Did you swap jerseys with Otamendi? — Yes. — What was the importance of coach Bubista in Cape Verde’s journey? — He was the most important. The way he calmed us down before the first game against Spain… Maybe some players were stressed or panicking about playing in a World Cup against Spain, and he said: ‘Believe in yourselves, we are a family, we have to stick together. I know we are playing against Spain, the favorite to win the World Cup, but they are just 11 men. When the game starts, it’s 11 against 11. It’s not Spain, the giant, against Cape Verde from 1%.’ — More than a great story, could this be the beginning of Cape Verde’s international affirmation? — We know our qualities and know what we want. We showed the world that Cape Verde is a small country, but we are a great country. We have great quality in our country, we have great personalities, great people. So we will try to show this in every World Cup and even try to do better than in this World Cup. — How did you follow the journey of Vozinha, who went viral during the World Cup? — Everyone was surprised. No one expected him to have 28 million followers after the World Cup; it wasn’t something realistic. But Vozinha is excellent, has a fantastic personality. He is an old man, 40 years old, but always works hard. He is always there for the young players, especially for me and Wagner [Pina], who are among the youngest players on the team. He helps us with everything; if we need anything, I can always call him or ask for help. He has a lot of experience. We are all very happy for him. — How did the group react to the news that came out during the World Cup about the accusation of rape against captain Ryan Mendes? — We talked to Ryan himself; he said that everything in the news is not true. That is the only thing I know and want to say.
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