The former player of Cape Verde in an interview with Kooora. We have an advantage over Saudi Arabia in this case… and we can embarrass Spain.

This change is a breakthrough for Cape Verde… and we can surprise everyone at the World Cup

Cape Verde is very difficult to play against… and this is our most obvious weapon

The Saudi Arabian team is “mysterious”… and we will play them to win

We have to use spaces against Spain… and football is not played at market value

We are free to play because “we have no history”… and Bobista is one of the secrets of the national team’s success.

Before Cape Verde’s first ever World Cup appearance, Sandro Mendes was one of the players to wear the national team shirt during his international career, giving him a unique insight into the small country’s footballing journey to the biggest footballing forum on the face of the earth.

The former holding midfielder, who was born in Portugal and represented his national teams before playing for Cape Verde at the start of the new millennium, is one of the names who has lived through different stages in the country’s football history, from humble beginnings to reaching the world’s biggest football stage.

During a professional career that spanned from 1995 to 2012, Mendes moved between a number of clubs in Portugal and Spain and made his mark in European stadiums, most notably at Spanish side Villarreal. He also won the Portuguese Cup and the Portuguese League Cup with Vitoria de Setúbal. After retiring, he turned to coaching in 2014 and had a few spells in Portuguese football before taking over at Comercio e Industria last summer.

Days before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he held… Kura An exclusive interview with Mendes to talk about the Cape Verde national team’s historic first participation in the World Cup, after the great achievement of qualifying for the finals.

The former star discussed the secrets behind the boom the team is experiencing and the reasons behind its transformation into one of the most prominent rising names on the African continent. He also spoke about the role and technical stability of coach Bobista in creating this success.

Mendes also revealed his vision for Cape Verde’s journey in Group H, which includes Spain, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, stressing that his country can surprise everyone, noting that it has a slight advantage over Saudi Arabia in certain circumstances and the chance to embarrass Spain despite the large differences in market value and individual potential.

He also touched on the most obvious strengths and weaknesses of the Saudi Arabian “greens” and the opportunities for Cape Verde to write a new chapter in its football history on American soil. And the dialogue text.