Cape Verde became the smallest country to reach the World Cup knockout round after drawing 0-0 with Saudi Arabia on Saturday NZT. The island nation, off the west coast of Africa, was playing in its first World Cup. It’s three draws in the group stage were enough to finish second behind Spain.
Cape Verde had already drawn 0-0 with Spain and 2-2 with Uruguay. Coach Bubista said before the Saudi Arabia match that everyone had the right to dream. His team, known as the Blue Sharks, proved that small countries can still make a big impact. Cape Verde has just over 500,000 people, making the achievement especially remarkable.
Goalkeeper Vozinha played another important match for Cape Verde. The 40-year-old made key saves to keep Saudi Arabia from scoring. His mother watched proudly from the crowd while waving a small Cape Verde flag. Cape Verde will now face reigning champion Argentina in Miami on July 4.
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