[Saba Sports News] A huge upset unfolded in the opening match of World Cup Group H, where World Cup debutants Cape Verde held tournament favourites Spain to a goalless 0-0 draw. After the game, 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha was named Man of the Match. His Instagram followers rocketed from just 50,000 before the fixture to 1.7 million, and the figure is still surging rapidly. In his post-match sideline interview, Vozinha said: “I’ve sacrificed so much for this moment. We’ve lived this dream. Every single player put in immense effort, and we’re absolutely overjoyed. We knew this game would be tough; Spain is one of the best national teams in the world, yet we leave here with a draw. I think we can be satisfied with that result. I’ve dreamed of this moment my entire life and spent all my years striving to perform on a stage like this. Today I finally got here, and I’m delighted that I could bring my experience to help the team.”
The editor believes that Cape Verde, the smallest participant country in terms of land area and population at this World Cup, covers a land area of merely 4,033 square kilometres with its population hovering around 500,000 over the years. This marks Cape Verde’s first-ever qualification for the World Cup finals. In their debut match, they held world powerhouse Spain to a draw and claimed their first World Cup point in history, pulling off a football miracle for this tiny island nation.