Heroic Cape Verde celebrate their World Cup debut by stealing a point from lackluster Spain

A heroic performance from Cape Verde saw them make their World Cup debut as they held Spain to a 0-0 draw. The reigning European champions were punished for their lackluster performance as the second-half arrival of Lamine Yamal was not enough to inspire Spain over the line. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha was the star of the show as he made seven crucial saves to keep Spain at bay throughout the match.

SPAIN VS CAPE VERDE HEADS

Cape Verde remained disciplined throughout the 90 minutes and only conceded one foul during the match. Spain, on the other hand, squandered possession and failed to create early chances to put the African side on the back foot.

SPAIN FIND TOOTHLESS WITH YAMAL

Spain opted to start without Lamin Yamal, despite coach De la Fuente saying he was 100 per cent ready for the match. Spain had all the possession at the start of the match. But passing seemed to be more of an aside as Cape Verde defended at times with almost 10 players in their own half.

Mikel Oyarzabal found himself isolated for much of the time as Spain struggled with passing in the final third, allowing the Cape Verdeans to recycle the ball out of danger. Before the first hydration break, Spain, despite their 70 percent possession and three shots, were unable to make a breakthrough.

This was evident from Oyarzabal’s unwanted record, becoming the first player since 1966 not to touch the ball in the first 30 minutes of play. While Spain turned on the heat in the final 15 minutes, then hit a a brick wall in the form of Vozinha.

He made a crucial save in the 37th minute, albeit offside, before getting in the clutch moments later. Ferran Torres had a golden chance in the 39th minute when he hit the post, but the Cape Verde keeper was on hand to save Oyarzabal’s header.

49 – Since scoring their last goal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup against Japan, Spain have scored 49 shots in the competition and completed 2,500 passes without finding the net.

waste. pic.twitter.com/1HxBdNT52y— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 15, 2026

Vozinha was in the clutch once more, saving Torres’ shot and then Laporte’s header from a corner as Cape Verde went into half-time level.

Their fans started to hold out hope as Vozinha restarted the second half with more confidence and more saves. The 40-year-old looked confident in the air, catching all lofted balls into the box as Spain’s shots all went wide.

By then there were no clear cut chances as the Cape Verdean defense kept the door firmly shut on them.

YAMAL DOES NOT INSPIRE SPAIN

De la Fuente had no choice but to join Yamal and in the second half the wishes of the Spanish fans came true. The mood in the stadium changed instantly, just as it did in an instant.

The Barcelona man made an immediate impact as he began to open things up on the right as he managed to get Marcos Llorente in the box. Merino got a shot but Vozinha was able to save it.

The match was already looking different when Yamal started to bypass the defenders, giving hope to the Spanish fans. But Cape Verde continued to fight hard and continued to frustrate the 2010 World Cup winners.

The last 10 minutes were to be a big test for Cape Verde as Spain beat Dani Olmo. Cucurella had a chance soon after but it was straight at Vozinha and the Cape Verdean fans began to believe.

The intensity of the attacks began to pick up, but the Cape Verde defenders looked completely focused on their work. However, Spain came close in the 86th minute when Oyarzabal’s volley was blocked by Roberto Lopes.

40 – Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, 40, is the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet on his FIFA World Cup debut when he made seven saves against Spain.

Heroic. pic.twitter.com/Y5yFXfrKYt— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 15, 2026

Spain had five minutes of stoppage time, but Cape Verde had the best chance from the first corner of the match. Diney Borges felt his name would be in the papers tomorrow morning, but his header was easily grabbed by Unai Simon.

Cape Verde had another chance late on but Ryan Mendes shot well wide. Spain still had a chance to grab the win when Oyarzabal flicked the ball wide. As soon as the final whistle blew, Vozinha was in tears as all the players rushed to him.

The stadium soon erupted in celebration as Spain came to regret their one-dimensional approach to the contest.

WHAT ELSE SPAIN?

Spain must start with some new ideas on their next trip. Starting with Gavi and Ferran on the wings looked like a bad idea as both men struggled to dribble past their defenders on various occasions. That was evident when Yamal came on and made five dribbles, the most of any player in the game.

They needed to be more direct with their attack instead of just holding the ball and passing. They could have taken a leaf from Germany and their win over Curacao as the four-time champions constantly used the wings to open up the defence.

Spain face Saudi Arabia next week on Sunday, June 21, while Cape Verde take on Uruguay on the same day.

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Published on:

15 Jun 2026 23:53 IST