Cape Verde reaches World Cup knockout stage and draws Argentina
Cape Verde produced one of the tournament’s biggest shocks overnight, holding Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw in the World Cup and securing a place in the round of 32 on its debut appearance. The Atlantic island nation, with about 500,000 residents, finished second in Group H, ahead of more experienced and decorated teams.
The point was enough because Cape Verde had already collected crucial results against Spain and Uruguay. Although it could not find a winning goal against Saudi Arabia, it was the better side in the match, and celebrations began once the players followed the result of the parallel game between Spain and Uruguay and realized they had advanced.
The achievement makes Cape Verde one of only three African teams ever to complete a World Cup group stage unbeaten in a first appearance. Next, it faces a major test against reigning world champions Argentina, with the match set for Miami. After this result, the team can no longer be dismissed.
The game was played at NRG Stadium in Houston, with French referee François Letexier in charge. Cape Verde was coached by Bubista, while Saudi Arabia was led by Georgios Donis.
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