ITV co-commentator Lee Dixon admitted he was choking back tears live on air after Cape Verde held Spain to a goalless draw in one of the biggest World Cup shocks in history. The Blue Sharks played their first ever World Cup match against the reigning European champions in Atlanta and managed a very hard-earned draw.
Spain Dominated but Could Not Score
Spain had 23 shots and managed eight on target, but a resilient Cape Verde defence, with goalkeeper Vozinho making seven saves, frustrated Luis de la Fuente's team. The African side's determination and organisation were key to their historic result.
Dixon's Emotional Reaction
Working the match for ITV, former Arsenal and England defender Dixon got caught up in the emotions of an unforgettable draw for the African country. He said: "I have to say, you might hear it in my voice, I am a bit emotional. It's absolutely fantastic, a brilliant, brilliant performance. They deserve that point more than anything and Spain almost don't deserve a point. They'll walk off disappointed, this night is Cape Verde's. What a performance. Every single one of them. The centre-half, the full-backs, that man there [goalkeeper Vozinho] crying. I'm nearly crying myself."
Matterface's Tribute
Sam Matterface, working alongside Dixon, added: "A 40-year-old goalkeeper, a squad made up of a Cape Verdean diaspora that stretches from Portugal to Romania to America and beyond. And the pockets of blue shirts and blue flags that have sprung up inside this stadium tells its own story. It's a day of immense emotion for Vozinha, a goalkeeper who has been for almost a decade their best. A wealth of experience, the undisputed No.1 and a man who has certainly lived up to his reputation tonight. Spain will be frustrated but this is not their story. This is Cape Verde's story. A point that belongs to half a million people in the Atlantic and a diaspora all over the world. It's a shock to the system. It's been made by Cape Verde. It's finished in Atlanta, Spain nil, Cape Verde nil."
This result marks one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, as Cape Verde, ranked 73rd in the world, held the European champions to a draw in their tournament debut.
