Cape Verde coach Bubista confident they will compete with Argentina in Round of 32
The African side will head into the game unbeaten from their group matches. Placed in Group H, Cape Verde secured a 0-0 draw against Spain in their opener.
They followed it up with a 2-2 draw against Uruguay before securing their Round of 32 ticket and a date to face Argentina with a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia.
For Argentina, they won all their Group J matches. They defeated Algeria 3-0, Austria 2-0, and concluded their group matches with a 3-1 victory against Jordan.
Speaking ahead of the fixture, Bubista believes if his players play with courage, they will be able to trouble Argentina and get something from the game because “anything can happen in football.”
Cape Verde living a dream
“We have a strong connection with Argentina,” said Bubista as quoted by FIFA.com. “The chance to play against them is a reward for these players, this team and our people.
“We’re ecstatic. Reaching the knockout phase means making history yet again,” added Bubista.
“Now we get to play against Argentina. In football, anything can happen. We’ll show them the same respect we’ve shown every opponent, but we'll compete.
“We’re living a dream, but once we step onto the pitch, we can’t see faces. We’ll approach this game exactly as we did against Spain or any other team.”
On coming up against Messi, who has so far scored six goals in the global tournament, Bubista said: “For us, it’s a huge privilege to face the player many consider the greatest of all time.
“Will it be the No. 10 against our 10 islands? Of course. But we’ll continue to play with character, discipline and our own identity.”
Bubista added: “We will play with courage. We will be bold and fight for the qualification. We want the players to enjoy the match, but to be focused and do everything to go to the next phase.”
Cape Verde defender Diney Borges said on coming up against Messi: “It’s not every day you get to play Messi. It’s basically a childhood dream. We all grew up watching him play.
“We have this opportunity and, God willing, we could knock out Argentina, the world champions.”
Goalkeeper Vozinha said: “We take the field with the opportunity to continue writing one of the most beautiful chapters in the history of our sport and our country.
“But more than just eleven players, an entire nation will be stepping onto the pitch. Because tomorrow, there are no islands. There is no distance. There are no borders.”
Cape Verde became the second-smallest country by land area and the third-least-populated to participate at the World Cup. The winner will qualify for the Round of 16.