Cape Verde President José Maria Neves has predicted that his country will pull off a surprise 1-0 victory over defending champions Argentina in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32, as the debutants continue what he described as “writing their destiny.”

In an interview with the BBC, Neves said Cape Verde could defy expectations against the football giants.

“I think Cape Verde can beat Argentina 1-0,” he said. “We are playing to win. When expectations are low for a team and there is a strong desire to win, it becomes possible. A small nation like Cape Verde must always try to surprise people.”

His remarks came ahead of Friday’s knockout match in Miami, where Cape Verde, known as the Blue Sharks, will face Lionel Messi’s Argentina, nicknamed La Albiceleste, at 22:00 GMT.

This marks Cape Verde’s first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance, with the island nation of 10 Atlantic islands also becoming the smallest country to reach the knockout stage.

They impressed in the group stage with a goalless draw against Spain, where veteran goalkeeper Vozinha played a key role, followed by a 2-2 draw against Uruguay. A 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia secured their place as Group H runners-up after Spain defeated Uruguay.

Now set to face the tournament favourites, Cape Verde enter the match as major underdogs, with a significant gap in world rankings separating the two sides.

President Neves, however, expressed full confidence in his team, saying they carry “100% faith and 100% hope” and believe they have a real chance of victory.

“We came to this World Cup to write our own destiny, and that means facing champions,” he said. “We will face Argentina and Messi with the same determination and desire to win and progress to the next round.”

Head coach Pedro Leitão Brito, popularly known as Bubista, echoed similar sentiments, saying earlier that “nothing is impossible” for his team and that reaching this stage was already a proud moment for the nation.

Midfielder Deroy Duarte also described the experience as “a dream,” acknowledging the difficulty of the match but adding, “Anything is possible.”

President Neves said that even if Cape Verde are eliminated, the team will leave the tournament with pride.

“Regardless of the result, we will leave with our heads held high and a sense of mission accomplished,” he said.

Source: BBC