• Bafana Bafana will meet a tricky Cape Verde outfit in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final on Saturday.
• The upcoming fixture will mark the sixth encounter between the two nations, with two wins each and one match drawn.
• We explore the unique characteristics of Cape Verde and get acquainted with the Blue Sharks ahead of the much-anticipated weekend match.
• For more Afcon news, go to the News24 Africa Cup of Nations Zone.

Believing in a goal is one thing, but effectively communicating and inspiring 23 individuals to share that conviction is another.

Head coach Pedro ‘Bubista’ Brito possessed that unwavering faith and successfully conveyed to his Cape Verde troops that they have the potential to progress to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals.

The Blue Sharks find themselves in an Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final for only the second time in their history.

However, they face an equally determined Bafana Bafana side, eager to achieve a similar feat, a milestone South Africa hasn’t experienced since the 2000 edition.

The islanders have pulled off a miraculous run at the 34th Afcon edition in Ivory Coast. They are yet to taste the despair of defeat, shocking four-time champions Ghana (3-2), thumping Mozambique (3-0), and nullifying Egypt in a stunning draw (2-2).

Then, against neighbours Mauritania, a penalty sufficed, and they booked their ticket for a quarter-final date against South Africa on Saturday, 3 February (22:00 SA time) at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast.

Here, we delve deeper into Cape Verde, exploring the nation and the formidable underdog opponents that have become giant killers at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Cape Verde, the country

What many people don’t know about Cape Verde, or Cabo Verde, is that ten islands of West Africa make up the archipelago of the country and are divided into two groups, known as Barlavento (windward) islands and Sotavento (leeward) islands.

The Barlavento group consists of the islands Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista, while the Sotavento group includes Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava. All of these islands are inhabited, with the exception of Santa Luzia.

Cape Verde, with a population of nearly 605 000, is the smallest nation at Afcon, covering an area of 4,033 km2. The country is known for exporting primarily fish (constituting 75 percent of total exports) and clothing (10 percent).

Spain is their main export partner, accounting for 86 percent of total exports, followed by Portugal at 10 percent, and the United States.

The islands were ruled and colonised by Portugal from 1462 until 5 July 1975 when, at Praia, Portugal’s prime minister Vasco Gonçalves handed over power to National Assembly president Abílio Duarte, marking Cape Verde’s independence.

Three years later in 1978, the Blue Sharks had their inaugural international match against Guinea, ending in a 1-0 defeat.

Blue Sharks aiming for another big bite

It took Cape Verde until the 2013 Afcon edition to book their spot in the tournament, incredibly defeating African powerhouse Cameroon on aggregate in the qualification process for a spot in the tournament hosted in South Africa.

Meeting Bafana for the third time, Cape Verde harkened back to their earlier clashes in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where they had faced unfortunate defeats as Bafana still managed not to qualify for the tournament. This time, drawing inspiration from those encounters, they astoundingly secured a goalless draw in the group stages.

Another valuable point was added in their match against Morocco, and they sealed the deal with three points against Angola, securing a spot in the quarter-finals when the tournament boasted 16 teams.

Then came 2017, the most recent encounter between Bafana and underdogs Cape Verde during the qualifying campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

In the first leg at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, Praia, Tokelo Rantie gave Bafana, who were coached by Stuart Baxter for a second stint as national coach, an early lead. But Nuno Rocha had other ideas and buried a brace within five minutes to record a famous first win over the South Africans.

The same result occurred in Durban at the iconic 2010 World Cup Stadium Moses Mabhida, where Garry Rodrigues scored a double midway through the second half before Andile Jali scored in the dying minutes of the match.

Seven players from that Cape Verde squad are still in the set-up today and will lace up with a chance to afflict similar damage on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Ronwen Williams, Percy Tau and Themba Zwane will, too, remember the heartache of those defeats and will remind their teammates who were not part of the team that day of that disappointing week for the national team. 

Cape Verde’s touch of Manchester United

As a result of the historical Portuguese rule in Cape Verde, a significant number of the island’s inhabitants share Portuguese heritage, and this connection extends reciprocally, with individuals of Portuguese descent also having ties to Cape Verdean roots.

Nani, Manuel Fernandes, and Ronaldo are among the notable individuals with Cape Verdean roots who chose to represent Portugal at the national level. In a similar vein, former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira decided to play for France, and Hendrik Larsson opted for Sweden, despite both players having the opportunity to represent Cape Verde.

One notable figure, known for his stint at Manchester United, eventually chose to represent Cape Verde and continues to do so.

Tiago Manuel Dias Correia, popularly known as Bebé, spent four years with the Red Devils but had limited appearances, making only seven outings for the club before embarking on several loan stints.

Although he initially represented Portugal at the under-21 level, Bebé expressed his desire to play for Cape Verde in 2019.

Fast forward to the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, and Bebé has made 20 appearances, scored six goals, and has evolved into a crucial player for the Blue Sharks, contributing to their impressive journey in the African football spectacle.