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The Blue Sharks of Cape Verde took time off at the team’s hotel in Mindelo after their penultimate training session ahead of their 2022 World Cup qualifying matchday-2 game against the Super Eagles to welcome newly invited players into the national side,Completesports.com reports.
Such a fun-filled in-house induction ceremony in the national team is also a regular practice by the Super Eagles during which new players are mandated to stand on a chair or desk and sing their respective favourite songs to the house, and the rest of the players usually act as backup singers and instrumentalists with clapping, tapping on the table, and the likes.
Short videos of Blue Sharks’ version were uploaded on the Cape Verde Football Federation (FCF) Instagram page showing six inductees undergoing the fun ritual.
Midfielder Telmo Arcanjo of CD Tondela in the Portuguese top flight, Primeira Liga, was the first inducted by the Blue Sharks and the 20 year old spoke of his love for the city of Mindelo and hoped they win against Nigeria on Tuesday, then stood up on a chair and sang for his new national teammates amidst loud cheers.
Also Read: ‘We’ll Fight Super Eagles With Victory Spirit’ –Cape Verde Coach, Players Boast
Telmo has an older brother, Fabio Arcanjo, 26, who plays for Portuguese Liga 3 side SCU Torreense and has just one cap for Cape Verde.
Kevin Lenini Pina, 24, a defensive midfielder who plays his club football for GD Chaves in the Portuguese second division, was also inducted. Aside singing for his new national teammates, Pina, also told story of a very challenging beginning in his football career.
Henrique Brito, a left-back invited from Portuguese division 3 side, FC Felgueiras, also performed the ritual, and expressed his excitement over the privilege of the Blue Sharks call-up. The 24 year old was born and brought up in Portugal.
Claudio Rafael Tavares who was also born in Portugal and got a recall to the Blue Sharks got inducted. The 24 year old right-back was capped for the first time in Cape Verde’s 1-1 away draw at CAR last week, September 1 2021. He plays for Portuguese third division club, Uniao de Santarem.
Goalkeeper Dylan Silva, 22, of the Portimonense SC U23s and AS Trencin of Slovakia central defender, Kelvin Pires, 21, were also inducted.
By Nnamdi Ezekute
1 Comment
If not that football is unpredictable often times,Cape Verde isn’t supposed to be a threat to SE inspite of the absence of about 8 regular. The current blue sharks don’t even match the current SE players in tomorrow match. How many Cape Verde players are playing top flight league. In fact,the worst result for SE tomorrow is scored draw