Cape Verde players greet supporters from a bus upon their arrival in Praia, yesterday.
Praia, Cape Verde: Thousands of ecstatic fans greeted Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks yesterday, waving banners at the Praia airport as the team returned after its slim defeat to Argentina in one of the World Cup’s most surprising matches.
The Sharks are set for a parade through the streets of the capital before meeting with the president and other members of the government of the small archipelago nation off west Africa.
Cape Verde progressed to the knockout stages in their first World Cup, thrilling supporters back home and gaining fans abroad as they confounded expectations.
In an epic last-32 contest in Miami, Cape Verde pushed Argentina to the brink but the reigning world champions snatched a 3-2 win in extra time. The team’s arrival back home coincided with Cape Verde’s independence day.
Despite the team’s loss to Argentina, celebrations erupted in Praia in the early hours of Saturday morning, as fans commemorated the fairytale journey and slim defeat against the world champions.
