Cork woman living in Cape Verde says nation is reveling in World Cup dreamland 

A Cork woman who has lived in Cape Verde for more than 20 has said the country is revelling in World Cup dreamland, with scenes she has compared to those Ireland saw during Italia ‘90.

The exploits of Cape Verde, whose team stand on the cusp of qualifying for the knockout round on their tournament debut after draws against Spain and Uruguay, have captured the imagination of football supporters across the globe.

Blackrock native Laura Power, who has lived in Cape Verde since 2006, told The Echo there is an electric atmosphere across the African island nation, which is gripped by World Cup fever.

Like a carnival

“It is just electric, and everyone is getting in on it. Straight after the games, it was like a carnival,” she said.

“Cape Verde is a group of 10 islands and, on each island, they had huge, big screens out in the streets. Afterwards, they basically had a carnival going through the whole town at that time of the night.

“You had drumming, singing, and all the chanting. So, it was just magical.”

After sharing the spoils with the current European champion in their opening match, and following this up with a deserved 2-2 draw with the two-time South American World Cup winners, Cape Verde will come up against Saudi Arabia at 1am Irish time on Saturday, with a win guaranteeing them a place in the knockout phase.

Ms Power, who has taken great pride in seeing Irish football fans get behind the Cape Verde team, said there is a palpable sense of optimism in the air across the country ahead of the showdown. Much of that Irish connection comes down to one man: The Irish-born captain of Shamrock Rovers, Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes, the son of an Irish mother and a Cape Verdean father.

Messages of support

After being told by Cape Verdeans a few years ago about the Irish man playing for their national football team, Ms Power reached out and kept in contact with ‘Pico’ through messages of support.

“They love Pico, and they love the story behind Pico, how he got to play for Cape Verde through his father being in Ireland for over 30 years and through the whole LinkedIn experience. He is the heart of the defensive team.

“I always send him a message or moral support before the game, and he always gets back to me.

“Even on Monday, I was like to Pico: ‘Everyone is asking me for an interview.’

“He was like: ‘Keep doing it, Laura.’

“He is delighted to see the Irish and Cape Verdean relationship, not just on the pitch, but also making progress off the pitch.”

After spending over two decades in Cape Verde, Ms Power, who works in the tourism and real estate sectors, is content to call the African nation her “home”.

“I was quite young when I came out initially. Having an opportunity so young to come out to live and work on a tropical Caribbean-like island is any anyone’s dream,” she said.

“Sunshine every day and just the vibe here is always really good. No stress is the actual motto of Cape Verde. So it is a very laid back culture.

“The people are fantastic and so friendly. They are very similar to Irish in terms of hospitality and very much into family principals.”

As Cape Verde properly announce themselves on the global stage, it is sure to be another exciting few days and weeks ahead for Ms Power and for all the residents across the islands.