Usually, every four years, summer football in the League of Ireland is overshadowed by the World Cup. This time, it is part of the World Cup story. Shamrock Rovers captain Pico Lopes delivered an unforgettable shift as Cape Verde battled to a 0-0 draw against Spain in Atlanta on Monday. “It was an incredible performance from the Cape Verde team and from Pico,” said Rovers manager Stephen Bradley. “It is what we’ve come to expect from him. But to do that against such high-level opposition, in such a big occasion, was incredible to see. “It was brilliant, it was emotional, as we all know Pico on a personal level. He’s such a good man and it’s really nice when you see good people rewarded for everything he gives to the game. “So it was a special night. That he had all his family in the stadium was something they will talk about until they’re old and when Pico’s son Diego has his own kids. That’s priceless.”Despite the bubbling emotions, Bradley kept his composure to provide insightful punditry in the RTÉ studio. As Lopes prepares to keep former Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez under wraps in Miami on Sunday night, Rovers seek to recover from last week’s defeat to Shelbourne with a trip to Waterford before Derry City come to Tallaght on Monday. “We lost the [Shels] game, which we don’t like obviously,” said Bradley, “but if we replay that game, nine times out of 10 we’ll win it. So we have to accept that and we move on.”Rovers remain five points clear of St Patrick’s Athletic, although Stephen Kenny’s side have a game in hand as Sligo Rovers visit Richmond Park. St Pat’s fans will be glued to Ghana versus England in Boston on Tuesday after the Black Stars’ first-choice goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi was replaced by Benjamin Asare against Panama. That puts Saints goalkeeper Joseph Anang a step closer to becoming the second active League of Ireland player to feature at a World Cup. Friday night’s televised match comes from Dalymount Park, where fourth-placed Dundalk will be aiming to leapfrog third-placed Bohemians. A mini-controversy has broken out at Bohs after goalkeeper Kacper Chorazka went home to Poland last week for his wedding.Bohs lost 4-1 to Derry City at Celtic Park last Friday, with American Paul Walters having a tough debut between the sticks. Manager Alan Reynolds had said Chorazka missed out on the match with “a bug”, but he clarified the situation on Thursday. “We had a situation where Kacper and his partner booked their wedding date and venue back home in Poland a long, long time ago, before he signed a new contract with us,” Reynolds explained. “I know that’s frustrating for fans. But my job is to manage the team and that includes managing distractions ahead of games, particularly when we’ve someone making their debut.“But I don’t believe that it was in his interest or the team’s interest for Kacper’s absence to become a talking point in the run-up to the game.” Friday’s fixtures (7.45pm unless stated)Premier Division: Drogheda United v Shelbourne; Galway United v Derry City (at Pearse Stadium); St Patrick’s Athletic v Sligo Rovers; Waterford v Shamrock Rovers; Bohemians v Dundalk, 8pm (Live Virgin Media Three).First Division: Athlone Town v Wexford FC; Bray Wanderers v Longford Town; Cobh Ramblers v Finn Harps; Cork City v Treaty United; UCD v Kerry FC.