Beijing time (CEST) June 22 — After leading his team to a 2-2 draw against Uruguay, Cape Verde coach Bubista gave an interview.

Good evening. I'd like to say that Brazil greatly admires your team, particularly goalkeeper Vozinha. My question is: did you expect such a performance? Furthermore, how far do you think Cape Verde can go in this FIFA World Cup? Thank you.

Bubista: Thank you for the compliment. We said from the beginning that our goal is to compete at the highest level possible. We've tried to do that in these three matches.

For us, it's more important to show the team's identity — our unity, our strength, and our resilience — rather than just the result.

As for your second question, we came here to compete and we also hope to pursue a new dream: advancing to the next stage. I think it's completely reasonable to think this way, because the team itself has this conviction.

Of course, we respect all our opponents and are aware of their strength, but we're also clear on one thing: we'll do our best to qualify.

Cape Verde is now a surprise team, and fans see this as a historic moment. If they win again, they even have the possibility of finishing first in the group. Does the team need to adjust its mentality? Should they continue to stay humble, or fight as "underdogs challenging giants"?

Coach Bubista: We need to maintain this mentality.

We've already faced two of the world's best teams and played well, so we have reason to believe we can compete for qualification. Looking at the standings, we also have the opportunity to fight for advancement, which is a completely reasonable prospect.

But we also know that every team in this group has a chance to qualify. The upcoming matches will be very difficult.

We'll fight one match at a time. The entire team is now full of confidence, desire, and conviction, but at the same time, we must take responsibility for "fighting for qualification."

You keep emphasizing "one match at a time." With only one match remaining, have you started to believe you can qualify? How do you assess the team's resilience?

Coach Bubista: From the first match, we understood that regardless of today's result, we had the opportunity to compete for qualification.

Therefore, from the start, we wanted to show the world that we have the capacity to fight for qualification.

Today's match was very difficult. The opponent was physically strong, played at a fast pace, and had strong individual players. But precisely because of this, such a match can temper us even more. Now our goal is very clear: to fight for qualification to the next stage.

The next match is against Saudi Arabia, and they played well against Spain previously. Are you concerned that your players might relax and think it will be a relatively easy match?

Coach Bubista: No, I absolutely don't believe we have any advantage. We have great respect for the Saudi team and are aware of their strength; they also have a chance to qualify. We need to stay grounded; it will still be a very difficult match.

Even though we played against Spain and Uruguay before, we can't assume we have any advantage. On the contrary, we must approach the match with the right attitude, maintaining maximum respect and concentration.

At the same time, we also hope to show Cape Verde to the world through our team — not just football, but also our culture, our music, and the passion of our fans.

We hope the world gets to know Cape Verde through this team.

More and more teams participating in the FIFA World Cup for the first time or with lower rankings are defeating stronger teams. How do you view this phenomenon?

Coach Bubista: This is not just a story for Cape Verde, but also for all of Africa and all smaller nations.

We've demonstrated a truth: a country can be small, resources can be limited, but with resilience, discipline, and teamwork, it can compete with world powers. This isn't just about football; it's a spirit.

On the pitch, many conditions are actually equal. Even if your opponent is one of the world's strongest teams, as long as you're organized, brave, and determined, you have a chance to compete.

Through football, we also want to show the world that no matter what difficulties you face, if you stick to your dreams, they can be realized.

Cape Verde is the first team in history to face two FIFA World Cup winners in their first two matches and remain unbeaten. How do you evaluate this record? Also, you coached at Badajoz — can you tell us about that experience?

Coach Bubista: First, this experience has been very rewarding and made me very proud.

Being able to face two World Cup champion teams and remain unbeaten demonstrates in itself the effort and growth of our team.

But for us, more than the result, it's important how we play: whether we're organized, play fairly, and maintain sportsmanship. I also want to take this opportunity to send my regards to Badajoz club and everyone there; they were very kind to me, and that experience was very meaningful to me.

We saw you interact with Bielsa on the pitch. What gift did you give him, and why?

Coach Bubista: For me, Bielsa is a master coach and a role model for many African and South American coaches.

We've studied his coaching philosophy for a long time.

I gave him a souvenir from Cape Verde as a keepsake.

We exchanged a few words; I expressed my joy at being able to compete against him, and he congratulated our team and wished us good luck for the future.

Tradotto dall'IA.

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