World Cup brings out hidden nation

Cape Verde hold ex-champions Uruguay to 2-2 draw after shocking Euro champs and World Cup favourites Spain

Cape Verde take on Saudi Arabia at 5.30 am Sri Lanka time in their last group match

According to the international media, Vozinha’s mother was not able to attend the match against Spain because of the high cost of obtaining a visa to enter the USA but she was present in Miami and treated to an enthralling display

A little known or virtually an unknown nation to perhaps billions, Cape Verde, has for the second time refused to go down as the whole world watched its team draw 2-2 against two time World Cup champs Uruguay in Miami, USA yesterday.

In their opening match Cape Verde held tournament favourites Spain to a scoreless draw after many expected the Euro champs to go on a goal-scoring spree.

Cape Verde is a group of islands some 570 kilo metres west of the African continent and the name means Cape Green given by Portuguese explorers which discovered the archipelago in 1444.

Cape Verde qualified for the World Cup with a population of just 500,000 and are giving rival teams a run for their money.

When Cape Verde held Spain to a draw it was a huge moral victory for the one time Portuguese colony as their rivals were rated 65 positions higher than them.

Also called the Blue Sharks, when Cape Verde held the first World Cup champs Uruguay to a 2-2 draw they proved their performance against Spain was no flash in the pan. Cape Verde’s last group match is against Saudi Arabia on Saturday and their chances of progressing to the next round look bright according to the experts.

The top two teams in each of the 12 groups will join eight of the best third placed teams in making up the 32 teams that will feature in the next round and Cape Verde has more chances.

The heroics of Cape Verde’s charismatic goal keeper simply known as Vozinha, real name Josima Dias, raked in a record 15 million followers on Instagram, a whopping rise from 40,000 before the game against Spain.

According to the international media, Vozinha’s mother was not able to attend the match against Spain because of the high cost of obtaining a visa to enter the USA but she was present in Miami and treated to an enthralling display.

Cape Verde take on Saudi Arabia, who drew 1-1 with Uruguay and were thrashed 4-0 by Spain, on Saturday, 5.30 am Sri Lanka time, in their final group-stage game.

Many are now predicting Cape Verde to beat Saudi Arabia with kick off scheduled for 5.30 am Sri Lanka time on Saturday.