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- Bubista bidding to guide Blue Sharks into uncharted waters
Bubista bidding to guide Blue Sharks into uncharted waters
Cape Verde head coach Bubista has challenged his side to keep believing as it bids to reach the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations when it faces South Africa in Yamoussoukro.
The small island nation side, ranked No.73 in the FIFA standings, topped its group, beating Ghana and then fighting back to snatch a dramatic 2-2 draw with Egypt before a 1-0 win over Mauritania put it into the last eight.
The Blue Sharks are now aiming to reach uncharted waters by making the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time.
Bubista feels there is still more to come from his side.
“We have our objective, which from day one has been to get to the semi-finals,” the Cape Verde head coach, whose full name is Pedro Brito, said.
“We are one step away from that now and we are going to keep going, while obviously staying humble and respecting our opponents.
“But we believe. That is our focus and we are going to try and get there.”
South Africa produced one of the major upsets in the tournament with a 2-0 win over FIFA World Cup semi-finalist Morocco in the Round of 16.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, though, will not allow any sense of complacency to enter the camp.
“Our win over Morocco is history,” Broos, who guided Cameroon to the AFCON title in 2017, said.
“Cape Verde is as determined as us to reach the semi-finals and we dare not underrate it.
“At the beginning, it was very important that we grow in the tournament and I think South Africa grew in the tournament.
“We just hope that what we are telling the players is the right thing – and up until now it has been the right thing.”
