Cape Verde’s qualification is one of the stories of this World Cup, but for Saudi Arabia it should also prompt an uncomfortable question. How does a nation of around 500,000 people reach the knockout stage on its World Cup debut while a country of more than 30 million, with one of Asia’s best leagues and ambitions of becoming a global football power, goes home?
There is no definitive answer and Cape Verde’s path has obvious differences to the Green Falcons. But there are lessons to be learned. For starters, while almost all of the Saudi squad plays club football in the Kingdom, the West African islanders benefit enormously from their diaspora. Many of Bubista’s squad have been developed across Portugal, France, the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe, giving them different football educations and tactical experiences.
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In Houston, Cape Verde created the better openings, looked the more dangerous side for much of the contest and played with a confidence that belied both their size and their lack of World Cup history.
The Saudi Pro League’s improvement in recent years has been dramatic and has raised standards significantly. But perhaps there needs to be more encouragement for players to seek experience of other football cultures and ideas. Saud Abdulhamid has been thriving since moving to Europe, most recently winning the Coupe de France with Lens. It could be time for more Saudi players to follow suit.
