Through two rounds of the World Cup’s group stage, the tiny nation of Cape Verde has displayed the jubilant air of a winner. In its first-ever World Cup appearance, the team — hailing from an archipelago off the western coast of Africa with around 530,000 inhabitants — has left its fans giddy with success and its opponents, from the traditional powers of Spain and Uruguay, trudging off the field in shock.
Spain, the pre-tournament World Cup favorite, took a total of 27 shots against Cape Verde in 90 minutes, seven of them on target. Statistically, that barrage should have produced at least two goals. But the ball never made it past Cape Verde’s defense and its star goalkeeper Vozinha.
Six days after that stunning result, Cape Verde did it again, erasing a 2–1 lead by Uruguay, the original World Cup champion, and further boosting its chances of advancing.
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The actual scores of Cape Verde’s games were less victorious: 0–0 against Spain, and 2–2 against Uruguay. Both matches ended in a “draw”: an outcome with no outright winner.
