Cape Verde prepares for historic World Cup clash against Argentina
via Punch Nigeria3 min read
Cape Verde, the smallest nation to reach the World Cup knockout rounds, is set to face defending champions Argentina in Miami. The Atlantic archipelago surprised many by drawing with Spain and advancing from Group H ahead of Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. Argentina, led by captain Lionel Messi, enters the match after a strong group stage performance. Cape Verde coach Bubista stated that the team is calm and views the match as an opportunity to make history, while midfielder Deroy Duarte echoed this sentiment. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, marking his 100th game, emphasized that his team will not underestimate Cape Verde, acknowledging their unbeaten group stage record. A win for Argentina would lead to a last 16 match against either Australia or Egypt. Australia's coach Tony Popovic is challenging his team to secure their first World Cup knockout win, while Egypt faces fitness concerns regarding Mohamed Salah. In other matches, Ghana will play Colombia, hoping to reverse the trend of African teams being eliminated, as five of the nine African teams in the last 32 have already been eliminated. Morocco is the only African team to have advanced to the last 16 so far. Portugal and Spain have also advanced, with Portugal defeating Croatia and Spain extending their unbeaten streak against Austria.
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