Former Arsenal defender and ITV co-commentator Lee Dixon was nearly moved to tears when Cape Verde held Spain to a draw on their World Cup debut. There were deeply moving scenes amongst the players from the tiny African island nation.
Cape Verde's Historic Achievement
They touched down in the USA as one of the tournament's underdogs, having reached the competition for the first time in their country's history. Against Spain, widely tipped as favourites for the trophy, they faced an uphill battle, much like Curacao did against Germany.
Yet every single one of their players delivered the performance of a lifetime, particularly 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who pulled off save after save against the Spanish attack. After the diaspora nation clinched a monumental 0-0 result against the former world champions, the emotion proved overwhelming for the players.
Dixon's Emotional Reaction
Witnessing numerous players in blue shirts weeping with joy, Dixon remarked: "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 will walk off disappointed but this night is Cape Verde's."
"What a performance, every single one of them. The centre-halves, the full-backs. That man there (Vozinha), crying, I am nearly crying myself."
Match Statistics and Key Players
In FIFA's world rankings, Cape Verde entered the clash at No. 64, while Spain sat third, trailing only defending champions Argentina and France. Spain registered 23 attempts on goal, with eight hitting the target, yet failed to find the back of the net.
Alongside Vozinha, Irish-born Cape Verde defender Roberto 'Pico' Lopez, who plies his trade for Shamrock Rovers in Ireland, also shone, repeatedly throwing himself into harm's way to thwart the Spanish attack.
The Spanish opted against starting Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal but introduced him once they recognised how resolute the Cape Verdeans were proving. They also called upon Euro 2024 hero Nico Williams, though the two gifted youngsters couldn't unlock the stalemate.
Group H Prospects
It's a result that hands the Cape Verdeans a real chance of escaping Group H. Sadly for the African nation, their path won't become any smoother. On 21 June, they must tackle South American powerhouses Uruguay, before wrapping up the group stages with a potentially decisive encounter against Saudi Arabia on 27 June.
