Cape Verde Captain: Everyone will know Cape Verde after this match

After Cape Verde drew with Spain, captain Ryan Mendes was interviewed by beIN Sports.

Before the match, many in the world of football probably thought Spain would easily win this game, and you were the underdogs. How important is this result for Cape Verde, as it's your first time participating in the FIFA World Cup?

We faced a very, very strong team today, and it was a really tough game. But we showed our fighting spirit and our strength because our defense was very good. We also tried to attack, but it was really difficult today. I think this draw is a very good result for us because we put in a lot of effort.

Your goalkeeper also made a few key saves, right?

Yes, he made some excellent saves. But I also don't think the opponent had many truly clear chances. Of course, we are all very happy today, all the players and staff are happy, and all of Cape Verde will be proud of us. This is truly incredible for us.

I imagine many people might not have known much about your country before. But after today, everyone will start talking about your performance, because you faced a very talented Spanish team.

That's why we're here. We came here to show everyone who we are and where we come from. We have a beautiful country and many excellent people. We want to show Cape Verde to the world. I think through this match, everyone will know Cape Verde.

Of course, today, the most important thing for you was defense. You defended very well. But after Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams came on, the game clearly became more difficult than before. How did you manage to stay compact and prevent them from scoring?

It's definitely very difficult to play against these types of players. But from the beginning to the end of the match, we all stuck together. We defended together, and we did everything together, which is the most important thing. We knew it would be tough today, and we did face a lot of pressure, but in the end, we earned a point. This is very important for us.