SCHOOL OF SHARKS

Thousands of flag-waving fans gathered in Cape Verde's capital to welcome the returning national soccer team after its stunning debut World Cup performance, mobbing the players as they left the airport.

In downtown Praia, at one of the country's most prestigious training academies, students as young as nine say it is just the start of their island nation's transformation into a powerhouse of the sport. From their opening group-stage draw against eventual champion Spain to their heartbreaking 3-2 knockout loss to finalist Argentina, the "Blue Sharks" frustrated some of the world's best strikers and showed off some scoring flair of their own, pushing Lionel Messi's team into extra time. Supporter Renato Ribeiro said he was overjoyed to see his team, representing a country off West Africa with a population of around 500,000 — the least populous ever to reach the World Cup knockout rounds — defy the world's low expectations.

"They only gave us a one percent chance, but I always said that one percent is a lot for us," he told reporters during a party at a fan zone, where the players made an appearance.

"My greatest pride is to see that our national team will leave young people with more desire to play."

Eyes on stardom

The inspirational nature of the Blue Sharks' strong showing is already on display at Praia's Bola Pra Frente — "Ball Forward" — Academy, which was founded in 2010 and quickly established itself as a top national development center.

"The future of football in Cape Verde, both women's and men's, is strong — it is big," said Silveria Nedio, the head coach at the academy and for the women's national team.

The academy was an early training ground for several players on the 2026 men's World Cup team, including defender Joao Paulo Fernandes and midfielder Kevin Pina, who notched Cape Verde's first-ever World Cup goal in a group-stage match against Uruguay.

There are currently around 240 players aged between four and 17 training at Bola Pra Frente, all of them plugged into the Blue Sharks' recent heroics.

"I want to get to the top where football can take me," said 12-year-old Cesar Alexandre Franca, who has been training at the academy since he was six. "I want to make my family proud."

Marcelo Pereira Valera, 9, has been at the academy for three years and also dreams of being called up to the national team. "I want to do great things with football," he said.

Financial constraints

Bola Pra Frente is one of more than 20 soccer academies in Praia alone, and there are others scattered across the 10 volcanic islands that make up the archipelago, said Mario Semedo, president of the national football federation.

"I believe we have indeed made real investments," he said, adding that this had "played a major part in the development of our national team".

The national program still faces financial constraints, however, prompting a lot of young talent to seek development abroad. Nedio said this was ultimately good for the country because of the opportunities the players were exposed to.

"Every time a child from Cape Verde leaves for Portugal at 13 or 15 years old, it is an advantage for us," he said.

Even before the World Cup started, Nedio was helping put Cape Verdean soccer on the map, securing the women's team's first qualification last year for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament that begins later this month in Morocco.

It's yet another sign that the national soccer program is gathering momentum, she said.

"From this moment onwards, things can change completely — both in football and in the country."

REUTERS