AS Cape Verde became the smallest nation to qualify for next year’s World Cup, the celebrations were loud enough to hear halfway across the world in host continent North America.
In fact, a public holiday had been declared even before the country — which consists of ten volcanic islands off the east coast of Africa — had even won their pivotal match.
The Sun’s Grant rollings joins in with the home crowd[/caption]
Smiling fans confident ahead of kick-off[/caption]
Cape Verde and Shamrock Rovers player Roberto Carlos ‘Pico’ Lopes[/caption]
It felt like the entire population of 530,000 were banging their drums, blowing their vuvuzelas and beeping their horns as the Blue Sharks beat Eswatini 3-0 in their do-or-die match.
The whole of capital Praia became a party city as residents flooded every crumbling curb to celebrate.
Cape Verde only joined Fifa in 1986 and did not have enough money to even try to qualify before the 2002 World Cup.
There is no professional league in the country, whose islands are spread far and wide.
And none of the 25 footballers in the squad plies their trade in the North Atlantic region they call home.
Eruption of joy
The ultimate World Cup minnows, their remarkable run relied on a foreign legion that includes Shamrock Rovers defender Roberto Carlos “Pico” Lopes.
Lapping up the adoration after the game, Dublin-born Pico, 33, told The Sun: “We’ll play anybody in the World Cup, we don’t mind.
Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, England, it doesn’t matter who it is.
“The point was qualifying. We are there on merit now.”
The Sun was pitchside as players jumped into the stands to be hugged by the jubilant spectators when Willy Semedo scored the team’s second goal.
And we were in front of left-back Stopira as he ripped off his shirt and ran towards the fans after netting the third.
The eruption of pure joy would have been enough to shake awake the dormant volcano nearby.
Pico said: “The fans have been incredible. It’s been non-stop since an hour before the game and an hour after.”
Cape Verde could have secured their place in the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada when they played away in Libya last week.
But the 3-3 draw meant that they had to win at home against bottom side Eswatini on Monday afternoon to top the group ahead of African giants Cameroon.
Cameroon, the “Indomitable Lions”, have reached the World Cup finals more times than any other African nation and their squad includes Man United’s £70million new striker Bryan Mbeumo.
It set up a nail-biting encounter at the sold-out, 15,000-capacity Estadio Pele on the outskirts of the capital.
The build-up to the most important game in the country’s history was very different to that of a big match here. In the soaring midday heat, the fans queued calmly for three hours before kick-off.
There was no boozing, no burger stalls, no official merchandise — and no aggro.
Flying their country’s flag as they waited patiently to go in, confident fans Angelo and Claudio said: “Cape Verde will go to the World Cup”
Inside, Simone Almeida, Carmen Tavares and Rita Mendes all had the flag painted on their faces.
Rita said: “This is a special day for Cape Verde.”
Andreia Levy added: “We have people from America, Holland and France, they have flown in from all over to watch the game.
Victorious players lap up the adulation[/caption]
A shirtless Stopira celebrates goal number three[/caption]
“The diaspora is far and wide. But they have come together to support us in this moment.”
Cape Verde, 1,100 miles above the equator, was colonised by Portugal 600 years ago.
And though the official language is still Portuguese, the majority speak Cape Verdean Creole.
The islands were a major hub during the slave trade as a staging post en route to the Americas.
The country gained its independence in 1975 in a bloody guerilla war and has been one of the most developed and democratic countries in Africa since 1990.
There are few resources apart from the abundance of fish, and only five of the islands can grow any type of crops.
Hero Cape Verde manager Bubista after the stunning win[/caption]
The Blue Sharks beat Eswatini 3-0 in their do-or-die match[/caption]
Previous football matches had not drawn big crowds because people were either working or could not afford the tickets[/caption]
But its economy benefits from tourism and from being an important commercial centre and useful stopover point along some major shipping routes.
Getting there from the UK takes six hours by plane, and more than 250,000 British people enjoy its Caribbean-style beaches every year.
Cape Verde president Jose Maria Neves was not in an executive box protected by security to watch Monday’s vital game, but in an open VIP section right next to the regular supporters.
One of those was Malene Almeida, who said after the match: “It’s a big milestone. We are a very tiny country, we have been through a lot. It’s a very special moment
“We are a poor country, we don’t have a lot of resources compared to a lot of other countries.” If you walk through the bustling centre, you will find plenty of street hawkers and beggars.
There is poverty in the ramshackle shanty town-style favelas and the unemployment rate stands at eight per cent.
Previous football matches had not drawn big crowds because people were either working or could not afford the tickets.
‘Means everything’
That is why a public holiday was declared on Monday so locals could come to cheer on the Blue Sharks.
Fifa has faced a lot of criticism for expanding the number of teams at next year’s tournament from 32 to 48.
The idea, though, is to bring football fever to the furthest corners of the globe. And judging by the huge smiles and tooting cars I saw in Cape Verde, the beautiful game’s governing body has certainly done that.
All around the city locals were dressed in Blue Sharks shirts with the words “no stress” on the back.
Pico, whose father left Cape Verde when he was 16, said: “It means everything, it’s what we’ve dreamed of since we were children. And to achieve it in front of our own fans is amazing.”
Much of the success has been down to finding quality players who have Cape Verdean heritage.
Fourteen of the 25-man squad were born outside of the islands.
Pico was contacted via business website LinkedIn to see if he would like to join the squad.
The defender ignored it first time round because the message was written in Portuguese, which he does not speak.
He had played once for the Republic of Ireland’s under-19 team and his chances of glory on the international stage appeared to be long gone.
That was until the Blue Sharks snapped him up as a full international in 2019.
Few of the football squad are in major leagues.
Semedo earns a crust in Cyprus’s first division, while Stopira and goalkeeper Vozinha are in Portugal’s second division.
Dailon Livramento, who scored the opening goal, is at one of the biggest teams, playing for Hellas Verona in Italy’s Serie A.
None of them would be on a Premier League club’s scouting list.
But to discount this well-organised side’s chances of causing a stir next summer would be a mistake.
Size does not always matter on the biggest stage.
Just ask the 330,000 residents of the even smaller North Atlantic island nation of Iceland.
Their team knocked Wayne Rooney and England out of the 2016 European Championships in France.
So maybe the Three Lions would not mind swerving Cape Verde in North America next year.
