Cape Verde National Football Team: History and Achievements

Federação Cabo-verdiana de Futebol, FCF

The Cape Verdean Football Federation was founded in 1982 with that purpose. It obtained FIFA affiliation in 1986. Similarly, CAF affiliation was also obtained in 2000.

The body is responsible for organizing the national team and the national football league. Headquartered in the capital city of Praia, Mario Semedo oversees the organization as the President. At the helm for eight years, he was responsible for multiple decisions that boosted the country's footballing prospects, including picking the current Cape Verde national football team coach, Bubista, who rewrote their footballing history.

History of the Cape Verde National Football Team

Cape Verde's first international game saw them play Guinea in 1978, just three years after their independence. The Cape Verde national football team nickname, The Blue Sharks, was derived from the shark population found off the coast of the country. The Cape Verdean diaspora was much higher than the population of the country itself. Some of the popular players who represented other countries include Nani, Patrick Vieira, Oceano, Eliseu, Gelson Fernandes, Henrik Larsson and Rui.

They participated in World Cup qualifiers for the first time in 2002 and were left empty-handed until this time.

They have better memories of AFCON as they qualified for the tournament in 2013. They stunned the entire continent by making it to the quarters on their debut. Another Quarterfinal run exceeded expectations in 2023. But a poor qualification campaign meant they missed out on the 2025 AFCON. However, they will gladly take a spot at the World Cup instead.

Some of the famous Cape Verde National Football Team players include record scorer and appearance maker Ryan Mendes. Captain and goalkeeper Vozinha leads the side from behind as other senior heads like Stopra, Garry Rodrigues, and Jamiro Monteiro are helped by exciting young talents like Benchimol, David Costa, and Jordan Semedo.

Cape Verde National Football Team stadium

The Cape Verde Football Team plays its home games at Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde. It is located in the capital city, Praia. The 15,000-capacity stadium is owned by the Government of Cape Verde. The stadium was funded by the government of the People's Republic of China as part of their stadium diplomacy in Africa. The stadium cost $15 million and was opened in 2014. It serves as a football stadium and also as a home to multiple sports, especially athletics.

Cape Verde National Football Team: Achievements & Honours

Cape Verde, an archipelago of just 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean, has yet to win a major title in international football. Their run to the quarters at the AFCON twice was the closest they have come to lifting silverware. Having just qualified for the World Cup, they are miles away from competing for trophies.

However, they had success in regional tournaments. They lifted the Amilcar Cabral Cup, which pits West African teams in 2000. In 2009, they won the Gold Medal at the Lusofonia Games held in Portugal. The FIFA Series victory in Saudi Arabia against teams from other confederations gave them plenty of confidence.