Sunday Oliseh Declares Himself a Cape Verde Fan After Blue Sharks’ Historic Draw Against Spain at 2026 World Cup

Cape Verde’s stunning World Cup debut has won over at least one high-profile admirer. Former Super Eagles captain and Nigeria legend Sunday Oliseh has named the Blue Sharks as the most impressive African team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, heaping praise on the island nation’s tactical organisation and structural discipline following their opening group stage result.

The Blue Sharks, making their first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance, held European champions Spain to a goalless draw — a result that drew widespread attention across the football world. Goalkeeper Vozinha was central to the achievement, producing seven saves over the course of the match to earn Man of the Match honours and preserve the historic point for his country.

“What nation has impressed me the most? For me, I have totally become a Cape Verde fan,” Oliseh said on his programme, Global Football Insights with Oliseh. “I’m even thinking of buying a ticket to go and visit the country once. Because the way they play, the organisation, this is no joke.”

Oliseh, who captained Nigeria and is widely regarded as one of the country’s most influential footballing figures, suggested the performance was not the product of chance but the result of deliberate long-term development. “This is something that had been worked upon,” he said, also referencing the nation’s decision to prioritise the World Cup over continental competition. “What I had felt when I went to the Afcon was that they intentionally did not come to the Afcon. This is a country with a population of 600,000.”

He concluded: “Cape Verde has really impressed because they played against the best team and remained organised.”

Cape Verde’s population of approximately 600,000 makes them one of the smallest nations ever to compete at a FIFA World Cup, a fact that adds further weight to their opening result. The archipelago nation, ranked outside the world’s top 30, faced a Spain side that won the UEFA European Championship in 2024 and entered the tournament among the favourites to lift the trophy.

Africa has sent six teams to the 2026 edition of the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico — the first World Cup to feature 48 nations. Cape Verde’s draw represents one of the continent’s most notable individual results in the opening round of fixtures.

Attention now turns to Cape Verde’s next fixture in Group H, where they face Uruguay on June 21. A positive result against the South Americans could realistically place the Blue Sharks in contention for a place in the knockout rounds — an outcome that would represent an extraordinary achievement for a nation of their size and footballing infrastructure.