Semedo Hails Cape Verde's World Cup Run After 1 Match Shook Champions

2 articles · Updated · GOAL English · Jul 4

Nelson Semedo said Cape Verde "have emerged as winners" despite their latest defeat, calling the side's World Cup campaign a moral victory.
Speaking from Portugal's camp before its own knockout match, the defender said he closely followed Cape Verde's run and praised the belief shown by the underdogs.
Cape Verde had just pushed the reigning world champions to the limit in a result-defying performance that stunned much of the football world.
Semedo, who has Cape Verdean roots, said the team proved that a small nation can carry immense quality and thanked them for how they represented "us."

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Semedo hailed their loss as a victory. Does this 'heroic defeat' narrative risk limiting Cape Verde's future football ambitions?

How will Cape Verde leverage its diaspora model to ensure this World Cup success was not just a one-time fairytale?