Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Thousands of flag-waving fans gathered in Cape Verde’s capital to welcome the returning national soccer team after their stunning debut World Cup performance.
In downtown Praia, at one of the country’s most prestigious training academies, students as young as nine say it is just the start of their island nation’s transformation into a powerhouse of the sport.
From their opening groupstage draw against heavyweight Spain to their heartbreaking 3-2 knockout loss to defending champions Argentina, the “Blue Sharks” frustrated some of the world’s best strikers and showed off some scoring flair of their own, pushing Lionel Messi’s team into extra time.
Supporter Renato Ribeiro said he was overjoyed to see his team, representing a country off West Africa with a population of around 500,000 — the least populous ever to reach the World Cup knockout rounds — defy the world’s low expectations.
“They only gave us a 1% chance, but I always said that 1% is a lot for us,” he told Reuters during a party at a fan zone on July 5, where the players made an appearance. The inspirational nature of the Blue Sharks’ strong showing is already on display at Praia’s Bola Pra Frente — “Ball Forward” — Academy, which was founded in 2010 and quickly established itself as a top national development centre.
“The future of football in Cape Verde, both women’s and men’s, is strong — it is big,” said Silveria Nedio, the head coach at the academy and for the women’s national team.
The academy was an early training ground for several players on the 2026 men’s World Cup team, including defender João Paulo Fernandes and midfielder Kevin Pina, who notched Cape Verde’s first World Cup goal in a group-stage match against Uruguay.
There are currently around 240 players aged between four and 17 training at Bola Pra Frente.
Bola Pra Frente is one of more than 20 football academies in Praia alone, and there are others scattered across the 10 volcanic islands that make up the archipelago, said Mario Semedo, president of the national football federation.
Financial constraints
The national programme still faces financial constraints, however, prompting many young talents to seek development abroad. Nedio said this was ultimately good for the country because of the opportunities the players were exposed to.
