Cabo Verde proved to be one of the most gripping stories from another enthralling CAF African Cup of Nations tournament earlier this year. The islanders reached the quarter-finals following a first-ever knockout-stage win over Mauritania in Abidjan. They then took South Africa all the way to penalties following a goalless draw, but subsequently missed four of their five penalties to head out of the tournament in heartbreaking fashion.

In the weeks since that drama-soaked Yamoussoukro evening, Cabo Verde, headed by Pedro Leitao Brito, or simply ‘Bubista’, have had plenty of time to reflect on their historic campaign in Côte d’Ivoire and plan for what comes next.

the national team coach feels that their AFCON adventure has fortified his side’s self-belief ahead of the latest round of CAF qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 26™, where the Blue Sharks find themselves in a tough group alongside the likes of Angola and continental powerhouses Cameroon.

Before World Cup qualifying resumes, however, the nation are set to take part in the debut FIFA Series, a new international friendlies project that enables teams from different confederations that would not normally have the opportunity to play against each other the chance to meet. The Africans will face Guyana, Equatorial Guinea and Cambodia in Saudi Arabia.

“It’s an excellent initiative,” the coach stated. “it gives lower ranked teams the chance to play during FIFA’s international windows, as well as the opportunity to take on countries from other continents.”

You can read the full interview below.

How does it feel looking back on Cabo Verde’s historic AFCON campaign?
Bubista: Looking back now, I’m convinced we could’ve reached the semis and contended for a place in the final. After our pre-tournament friendly against Tunisia, I had no doubts and told the players that we had all the ingredients for a great AFCON. I was very happy, especially because I always believed in the team and our rebuilding project.

How does it feel to be leading this group and experiencing all this with Cabo Verde, given that you have been assistant coach and captain?
My experience and background is quite significant and enables the players to fully trust the coaching staff. I try to be honest with everyone even in difficult moments, which has helped a lot. Back when I was as a player and the captain, my dream was for us to win the Amilcar Cabral Cup (a tournament played from 1979 to 2007 involving West African nations) and we did it. I’ve also been dreaming for a long time that we’ll one day win the AFCON and that we’ll soon qualify for a maiden World Cup.

On that subject, how would you rate Cabo Verde’s chances of reaching the next World Cup?
We knew immediately we were in an extremely difficult group, particularly having to compete with Angola, Cameroon and Libya. And it’s not as if our good performance at the AFCON will make things easier for us, if anything, it’ll be the opposite. That said, deep down we know we can qualify, and our sole focus is fighting until our last breath to get there. And not least because it’ll be [partly] in the United States, where we have our largest diaspora. We owe this qualification to them, for everything they’ve done over the years to help us and contribute towards the country’s development.

In Côte d’Ivoire, you were able to count on your whole squad, with a substitute netting the winner against Mauritania. How important is it to have such a reliable group?
One of the most important things about this team is the ability of players to come off the bench and do a job. I often tell the players that we don’t have substitutes, just alternative solutions. This was evident at the AFCON, and it will again be vital during this qualifying campaign. That’s why there’s no place for egos on the field. We have players who fulfil different tactical roles for their clubs, which gives us a degree of flexibility within our team. So far, it’s been a tough journey, but a very rewarding one.

You’re able to call upon players from all over the footballing world. What is it like trying to get your squad to gel while maintaining the team’s Cape Verdean identity?
I put a lot of importance in human relationships. Yes, we have players who have Cape Verdean heritage but are born in different countries. The first call-up is almost always to see if a player can fit in with the squad, to acquaint them with their team-mates and coaches and, above all, for us to get a sense of where their heart is. I try to get to know them deep down, more than what you would see on the outside. That way I know I can depend on them if I call them up in the future. That gives me reassurance, as I need to trust them not just as players, but as people.

We need this new generation of talent to be powerful, daring and full of confidence. We’re a small country, so we have to be enormous in spirit and brimming in confidence to achieve our lofty goals.