Members of the Cape Verdean diaspora in Connecticut came together Friday night to witness history.
The small West African island nation, playing in its first ever FIFA World Cup, managed a draw against Saudi Arabia and advanced to the knockout stage of the tournament. It comes after they shocked many by earning draws against favorites Spain and Uruguay in their first two matches.
For the crowd at the Cape Verde Association of Bridgeport Friday night, the celebration was just getting started.
“It’s wonderful,” said association vice president Koren Paul. “We all have this big sense of pride, and we’re just very excited, because we’ve all grown up explaining to everyone just what Cabo Verde is – where it is, who we are, all about our culture.”
“This is just so exciting that everyone is coming to know us through the World Cup,” said Paul, who attended the team’s match against Spain in Atlanta on June 15.
“It was surreal,” she said.
According to Census figures, Connecticut has the third-largest Cape Verdean population in the United States, behind Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
After the match, as DJ Jamonni Lopes spun tunes for a raucous party of supporters waving flags across the dance floor, fan Tony DePina said he was almost at a loss for words.
“To see us being out there succeeding and being able to show the world that we may not have a lot of resources but we have a lot of heart, and to be able to compete on the big stage, has been tremendous for us,” said DePina, who attended the Cape Verde-Uruguay match in Miami on June 21.
The Cape Verde team has their work cut out for them. Their next match is Friday against reigning World Cup champions Argentina, and it’s win-or-go-home. DePina said Cape Verdeans believe in their team.
“No one expected them – they gave them a 1% chance,” DePina said of soccer pundits’ predictions before the tournament started. “In kriolu, we say, ‘1% chance, 99% fé,’ which means ‘faith.’ They play with faith.”
“Argentina is going to be tough,” DePina said. “However, we’ve shown that we can play with the big dogs.”
Learn more
Several community hubs across the state are hosting World Cup watch parties. Find one near you.
