Cape Verde has sent football fans into a frenzy after an impressive performance on Monday June 15 in their first match against Spain.
The European champions missed the chance to start the campaign with a victory, as the first match ended 0-0.
Although the Spaniards showed some flashes of brilliance, they could not find the net.
To put it in context, the Red Tide have never been able to achieve a victory in their opening matches of the World Cup campaign.
They admitted defeat in their debut match in 20410 and then won the competition.
In 2014, the Red Tide lost the first two games in 2014 and 2018.
But he won the debut in 2020 with a 7-0 victory against Costa Rica.
Cape Verde attracted global attention after drawing 0-0 in the opening match against Spain in Atlanta.
The Spaniards took 27 shots, seven on goal, but could not score any.
Overall, Spain struggled against an ambitious and disciplined opponent, Cape Verde, with pioneering goalkeeper Josimar José Vozinha, 40, making seven saves.
It is no surprise that many football fans around the world have heard of Cape Verde for the first time. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Here are five reasons why Cape Verde is generating viral buzz around the world.
1. The first smallest country to compete in a World Cup
Cape Verde is a small country with an estimated population of more than 500,000 inhabitants.
But with this limited size of its population, the island nation has qualified for the World Cup, while many nations are still struggling to do so.
2. Vozinha, 40-year-old pioneer goalkeeper
Although the Spanish stars created a stir before the game, everyone is talking about the 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper, who made 7 saves.
The Blue Sharks gloveman, Vozinha, was key in securing the draw against Spain in the World Cup debut.
The spectacular performance made headlines and drove fans around the world crazy.
The curious thing is that, before his first match, Vozinha had only 50,000 followers on Instagram, which has now surpassed 5.9 million after an excellent performance with the gloves.
3. The Blue Sharks outclassed the African heavyweights
Cape Verde qualified for the FIFA World Cup by defeating one of the strongest teams in Africa, the Republic of Cameroon.
Cameroon has qualified eight times, but this time Cape Verde shattered their dreams by landing their dream spot.
That in itself indicates that the underdog side can bring more surprises in the coming days.
4. The first match against the big favorite, Spain
Most rookies coming to the World Cup wish they could start against easier teams, but Cape Verde took on Spain and came out firing, closing the game in a draw, 0-0.
Thus obtaining a crucial point against one of the big favorites to win the title.
5. The story of the underdog
In every World Cup, there is a team that made headlines and left traces of everlasting memories for football fans.
Cape Verde could have lit the flame after its debut against Spain.
The story of the Blue Sharks is just beginning; With impressive gameplay, they are the losers of this World Cup.
