Cape Verde: Small But Powerful

And Not Only in Futebol

Aug 03, 2026

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Editor´s Note

Family and friends who know me will know that I am not and never have been a sports fan. Baseball was the only exception. I followed the minor league Tucson Cowboys in the mid-1950s, and I actually attended several games of the Durham Bulls in the 1970s since the stadium was only a few blocks from where I lived then. I was a fan of the Boston Red Socks and watched on television as long as David Ortiz was there. But since then I have never watched any sport except possibly in a bar when the TV was unavoidable.

I was certainly aware of soccer (football), but never knew enough to follow a game with any understanding. But when Cape Verde made it to the World Cup Round of 32, I began to pay attention. Even if I don´t understand the game, I began to understand the global significance of the sport that many of my African friends were already well aware of. So I started to compile some YouTube playlists as a more accessible way to share than trying to excerpt some written essays.

The result is this post, longer than usual but in a different format, which viewers/readers can sample as they wish. The message: Cape Verde is better known now because of sport. But this small country has also had an impact far greater than its size in two other realms: in music and in Pan-African and global progressive thinking and practice.

I hope that this post can serve to introduce more people to the unique contributions of this set of islands and its far-flung diaspora.

[End editor´s note]

Playlist 1: Introducing Cape Verde

This first playlist focuses on the World Cup and general background about Cape Verde. Image and selected live video links included.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcd22M-Hp6gTIVQIdLINpUgRBE8ABjfDg

Books

For those who want to read as well as watch, here is a short selection of recommended books. If you purchase through this link on Bookshop.org, AfricaFocus receives 10% of the list price.

https://bookshop.org/lists/cape-verde-and-amilcar-cabral-recommended-books