Cabo Verde, a volcanic archipelago of roughly 600,000 people off Africa’s west coast, just did something no one expected. They held Spain, the reigning European champions, to a 0-0 draw in their first-ever World Cup match.
The hero was Vozinha, a 40-year-old goalkeeper with nearly 90 caps for his country since 2012. He turned in a masterclass at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on June 15, making save after save against a Spanish side that dominated possession and created the bulk of expected goals.
A debut for the history books
Cabo Verde entered this World Cup ranked 67th by FIFA. They earned their spot by beating Cameroon 1-0 during qualification, a result that itself would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
This was also the first time the two nations had ever faced each other in international football. The fact that Cabo Verde’s introduction to Spain came on the World Cup stage, and ended with a clean sheet, makes it all the more striking.
