With a population of around 500,000, it had been anticipated that Cape Verde, led by ex-Nottingham Forest star Ryan Mendes, would be the whipping boys at this year’s World Cup.
Mendes – and Nuno Da Costa – had other ideas, however.
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Inspired by a 40-year-old goalkeeper, Vozinha, Cape Verde stood firm to keep a clean sheet and earn a point on their World Cup debut against the European Champions, Spain.
Mendes was in action for his country as a 36-year-old, and on a famous night for his homeland, the winger made history in the process.
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Ryan Mendes captains Cape Verde to superb World Cup point
Mendes might be getting on these days, but he was handed the captain’s armband for this clash and in the process, he made history.
The experienced winger spent a season at Forest during the 2015/16 campaign, scoring twice and registering six assists from 32 appearances.
In captaining Cape Verde, Mendes became the first player with a Forest connection to captain a team at the World Cup in history.
Mendes almost won it for Cape Verde late on, but his effort missed the target, much to the frustration of the supporters inside the stadium.
Mendes’ spell at Forest won’t live long in the memory, but when all is said and done, the player will now have etched his name into Cape Verde folklore with this stunning performance against Spain.
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Forest striker Chris Wood will be the next Forest performer to get going at the World Cup in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with Elliot Anderson set to play for England on Wednesday.
Whatever those two players achieve at this World Cup, it’s highly unlikely to be anything as spectacular as what Mendes has done in helping his country to a memorable point against Spain.
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