Applause erupted, drums began to beat and car horns honked: Cape Verde's narrow loss to Argentina was cause for celebration early Saturday in Praia as the Blue Sharks' World Cup dream run came to a sad but brilliant end.
A Fairytale Journey
The African archipelago of just over 500,000 people progressed to the knockout stages in their first ever World Cup after drawing with European champions Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in the group stage. This unexpected success made Cape Verde one of the fairytale stories of this year's expanded 48-team tournament.
Epic Last-32 Contest
In an epic last-32 contest in Miami, Cape Verde pushed Argentina to the brink. The reigning world champions snatched a 3-2 win to move on, and the rank outsiders' journey was over. Despite the loss, Cape Verdeans felt they had achieved a moral victory.
Fan Adilson Soaresz told AFP: "We lost the match, but we feel like we achieved a victory because we held our own against the world champions. Cape Verde was magnificent."
Nationwide Celebration
In Praia, festivities continued until nearly 3:00 am (0400 GMT) with vuvuzelas and live music blasting in the streets. Supporter Pedro Ramos told AFP from a fan zone in Praia: "Cape Verde leaves the World Cup with its head held high. We were so close to beating Argentina. We were allowed to dream."
A Match for the Ages
The overwhelmingly Argentine crowd in Florida was stunned on the hour mark when Deroy Duarte fired in an equaliser for the Blue Sharks to take the game to an extra 30 minutes. However, an own goal from Diney Borges under pressure from Argentina's Cristian Romero in the 111th minute settled the match, with Argentina moving on to face Egypt.
Cape Verde's wild success against the world champions and the match's down-to-the-wire nature made fans feel like they were witnessing something special. Armando Lopes, a diplomat, said: "It felt like watching a World Cup final. Who would have ever imagined that Cape Verde would push Argentina to extra-time in a World Cup match?"
Coach's Confidence
Ahead of the game, Cape Verde coach Bubista had said: "We are calm because we earned our place here on merit and there is nothing to fear or worry too much about. We know the importance of the match ahead. It is the match of our lives, but we are going to enjoy it and give our best."
