On the world map, Cape Verde is so small that you have to stretch your eyes to find it - a quiet archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic, nearly 600km from the west coast of Africa, with a population of just over half a million people. Football in Cape Verde does not have a strong professional tournament, no modern stadium. However, this October, they made the whole world mention their name: Cape Verde won a ticket to the World Cup finals for the first time. In 2026, they will fly more than 5,500km to attend the biggest football festival on the planet.
That dream comes true without any miracle. It comes from a series of journeys with a combination of discipline, aspiration and an indelible belief in what seems impossible.
The Journey of "Green Sharp"
The nickname Blue Sharks - Green Shark - is appropriate for a coastal country. It sounds fierce, but it is actually a symbol of enduring strength. They did not swallow their opponents in the blink of an eye, but persistently swam in the vast ocean, one by one. Previously, Cape Verde was a story of unfinished efforts. In the 2013 African Cup, they reached the quarter-finals for the first time and were only considered a "phenomenon" before being quickly forgotten. But in 2025, everything is different. After overcoming the group of Cameroon, Libya, and Angola, they became the 6th team in Africa to win tickets to the US - Canada - Mexico.
This will be a qualifying campaign that Cape Verde people will tell their children and grandchildren forever. With so many emotions, there are resentment, there is burping, there is anxiety, there is faith. And in the end, they decide their own fate.
On October 13, 2025, National Park de Cabo Verde Stadium in a brilliant afternoon. Coach Pedro "Bubista" Brito's team took the field to a joyful cheer. Just beating Eswatini is enough to touch history. In the 48th minute, Dailon Rocha Livramento - a player born in Portugal, but chose to wear his parents' hometown - scored the opening goal. 6 minutes later, will Semedo, playing in Switzerland, doubled the gap. When the clock was only in the 90+2 minute, Stopira - a 37-year-old veteran who had almost retired - was put on the field and sealed a 3-0 victory.
The final whistle blew, the stands burst into tears. Women danced to the funana - the folk dance of the sea and islands, the children put up flags on the roofs, the young people jumped into the sea while singing. The whole capital of Praia has turned into a festival. It is not just a victory, but a declaration of faith: We are small, but we can.
Coach Bubista - former national team center back - is an icon of the generation that dares to dream. He does not have a data analysis lab, or a modern training center. He has faith, simplicity and a very African philosophy: Football is proof that we exist. stopira shared: "I have played for the national team for 15 years, witnessing how many times we have come close and then missed. I thought I had run out of opportunities. But today, when I score, I think of my father - the one who taught me to love this country. Football is my way of saying thank you.
That saying sums up the spirit of the team, that love for the homeland is not measured by geography, but by action.
They made the whole of Africa bow in admiration
They are the second smallest country geographically to qualify for the World Cup (after Iceland). And they don't have any stars playing for top European clubs.
Their strength comes from the organizational factor. That is the result of a long journey, starting since the island nation built the first National Academy of Sports in 2005, opening the door for poor children to access football. From that foundation, many players from poor backgrounds have been trained and sent to Portugal - a capital of Cape Verde - to learn professional football. The Cape Verde football system has been clearly oriented over the past 10 years, focusing on connecting island players in Europe, training local coaches and maintaining a flexible focus model, so that wherever players are, they can stay connected to the national team.
Today, most of the players in the national team are born or play in Europe: From goalkeeper Vozinha to midfielder Patrick Andrade or striker Julio Tavares. They are "children far from home", carrying 2 blood lines, having European passports, speaking many languages, but still choosing to wear the small island coat. Perhaps in each person is the nostalgia for the sea, the desire to return. Thanks to that, they have an even squad and play cohesively. No individual is outstanding, but the whole team knows what they need to do. That creates a wise team, something many big teams in Africa are lacking.
From the ocean to the blue sky
After winning the ticket, the Cape Verde Prime Minister declared it a national holiday. The president sent congratulations from New York: You have done something that every generation has dreamed of. You show the world that from the blue ocean, you can still reach the sky".
A local journalist wrote: When Stopira scored, I heard the waves at sea as if cheering. Football makes us closer, more confident. That is what football does best - arousing pride in places where people think there is only wind and sand.
Cape Verde did what seemed impossible. An island in the middle of a vast ocean, the faith of half a million people, has now become one of the representatives of Africa at the World Cup. It doesn't matter how far they will go, how many wins, how many goals they score. That is not important. Because they won from the moment "Baby Sharks" shook Praia...
Lessons for Vietnamese football
What the Cape Verde team has done is perhaps worth pondering with Vietnamese football. With more than 100 million people, a rapidly developing economy, a professional championship over 20 years old, traveling on a very unstable and vague path. Cape Verde don't have a million-dollar player, don't have a football academy, but they have aspiration and perseverance. They do not " burn the stage", but take small steps, persevere, and build from the foundation. They show the world the value of perseverance, something that many football teams are losing in the era of short-term achievements.
Vietnamese football once had a moment in Changzhou, but that was youth football and then being promoted to the national team level, but stopped in the middle of the journey. strategically planning a strategy suitable for the qualities, physical and spiritual needs of the Vietnamese people, identifying a suitable vision, drawing a reasonable journey and importantly, relearning how to maintain trust, discipline and consensus. Like the "Green Sharks", not allowing the storm to hinder, just knowing how to swim in the direction of the target.
