Cabo Verde Head Coach Bubista: We must be proud of our players against the world champions

Bubista, the head coach of the Cabo Verde national football team, expressed great pride and satisfaction with the team's performance despite losing 2-1 to world champions France in extra time at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which meant their elimination from the tournament. Speaking at a press conference after the match, Bubista stated that thanks to the dedication and fighting spirit his players showed on the field, they represented the name of Cabo Verde in a dignified place in sports history. Emphasizing that the selected players perfectly reflected their internal solidarity and team play on the pitch, the coach stated that they displayed a character that never gave up despite the strength of their opponents. He added that playing in the quarter-finals of the continent's biggest tournament was a great success for them and that the lesson learned from this journey would shed light on future successes. Bubista thanked his team for challenging the world champions by keeping their cool even during the difficult moments of the match.

Considered one of the surprise teams of the tournament, Cabo Verde measured up against France in the match and had made a name for themselves by eliminating defending champions Senegal in the round of 16. In the quarter-final match played at Bouake Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Mande took the stage with a highly audacious and disciplined tactical structure. In the struggle that ended 1-1 in normal time, Cabo Verde tried to take control of the game with doping from the Seychelles fan support, but faced difficult moments against France's experienced squad. The Cabo Verde defense, which did not concede a goal in the 90 minutes of the match, stood out with Vozinha's performance, while in attack, Bebé's fast attacks continued to create danger. However, in extra time, France's technical power and critical changes during the match determined the course, and they managed to go ahead 2-1 by exploiting gaps in the home defense. With this goal, Cabo Verde struggled to equalize despite having their chances and was eliminated from the tournament.

Despite the disappointing result of the match, head coach Bubista believes that Cabo Verde's head-to-head struggle with France is of historical importance and will earn the team the respect it deserves throughout Africa. He stated that not losing faith and continuing to fight even after conceding a goal was the most concrete indicator of where Cabo Verde football stands. Bubista said that the team not only represented the country with results but also with the clean and fair play exhibited on the field, and therefore every player should hold their head high. He noted that this defeat against France would serve as a driving force for Cabo Verde, with its young and dynamic squad, to grow stronger rather than hindering them. He emphasized that with the 120-minute struggle against a team at the peak of world football, his team successfully represented not only themselves but also their region.

This tournament was not just a success story for Cabo Verde, but also an opportunity to introduce themselves to the world, and Bubista stated that he appreciated the players acting with this sense of responsibility. Bubista, who was seen trying to hold back tears in the photo frame taken after the match, expressed that these emotions actually stemmed from pride and honor rather than sadness. In his opinion, the team was one of the teams capable of eliminating France in the African championship, and everyone had to accept this fact. It is worth mentioning that they surprised many analysts and football fans with their performance throughout the tournament, that their targets were now much bigger for the future, and that they raised the standards of the country's football. Bubista stated that this success serves as an example proving that small country teams in Africa can also exhibit high-level performance against big teams by working in an organized manner.

Looking ahead, Bubista added that they would continue their work by drawing strength from this experience and would do their best to take Cabo Verde football to higher levels. He said that knowing that the belief and support of the people living across the country would never break gave them great strength and that they reflected this energy into their struggle on the field. He expressed that the defeat against world champions France was met with sportsmanship, fair play, and honor, they did not forget to congratulate their opponents, and such matches add value to sports. Thanking everyone who trusted the team, Bubista stated that the struggle they showed today has already taken its place in Cabo Verde history, they would continue to be proud of their players, and they would continue on this path with consistency.