Coach Bubista insisted Cape Verde will “play without fear” as they make their FIFA World Cup debut against Spain in Atlanta on Monday.
Cape Verde will be playing the first World Cup game in the nation’s history, while Spain are European champions and among the favourites to go all the way in the tournament.
Sunday saw another World Cup debutant, Curacao, beaten 7-1 by Germany, but — speaking in a pre-match news conference at Atlanta Stadium — Bubista said he saw facing Spain as “an amazing opportunity.”
“We want to enjoy these matches,” he said. “Qualification means more than just football, it’s a cultural achievement. We want to show our country to the world.
“We’re a team that play without fear… When we talk about our identity, we’re talking about who we are as a people. We like challenges, because we like overcoming difficulties.
“We want to show our identity as a team, which means being brave when we have the ball in attack.”
Bubista admitted that nerves were “a danger” but said his team — who qualified for the tournament ahead of Cameroon — “didn’t come here just to take part.”
“We know it’s tough,” he said. “We know the quality of Spain, with some of the best players in the world. But we’ll also create problems for Spain, without a doubt.”
The football associations of 13 nations, including Cape Verde, released a statement on Sunday criticising reported comments from UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, who had described some matches at the expanded World Cup as “completely uninteresting.”
“I haven’t read the statement,” Bubista said. “I believe it’s an opportunity for teams and smaller countries to have a chance, to participate, to play, to compete. We’re here on merit.”
