Rotterdam has a knack for weaving football legends. Six players from Cape Verde, who have made their mark in the World Cup, hail from this city, nearly 5,000 kilometers away from their ancestral islands. Five of them faced off against Argentina, the reigning champions, in a hard-fought 3-2 loss.
Following last Saturday’s draw with Saudi Arabia, which secured Cape Verde’s place in the last 32, Rotterdam’s streets erupted in celebration. Cars honked, flags waved from windows, and people danced joyfully. Locals fondly refer to this city as the 10th island of Cape Verde, with diasporas from Curaçao and Morocco also lighting up their corners of Rotterdam during this tournament.
About 25,000 Kriolu, the term Cape Verdeans use to identify themselves, reside in the Netherlands’ second-largest city. Among them is Jeffry Fortes, the son of a dockworker, like many of his fellow compatriots. The spirited 37-year-old plays as a right-back for the second-tier team Den Bosch and has amassed over 400 appearances in the top two divisions of Dutch football.
His impressive career has earned him 26 caps for Cape Verde, though his international journey came to an unexpected halt in 2023 due to a disagreement with the football federation’s board. “I’m not going to speak badly about them,” he shares. “I’m their biggest fan now.”
At the music venue Club Annabel, Fortes stands among 1,600 other enthusiastic Cape Verdeans, proudly wearing a blue shirt emblazoned with a portrait of Amílcar Cabral, the leader of the independence movement from Portugal.
“As a professional footballer it’s a disappointment to be on the sidelines,” he admits. “But as a Cape Verdean, I’m prouder than ever. We can’t take this for granted. This is the biggest and best moment ever. No one in the world knew us. Now we’re in the spotlight.”
Inside the expansive beer garden, an African drum band plays, dancers perform, and a myriad of small flags from World Cup nations decorate the space. For the attendees, it’s Vozinha’s world, with Lionel Messi merely a guest. Cheers erupt for the first hydration break, a unique occurrence at this World Cup. When Messi scores the opener shortly after, a subtle disappointment wafts through the lively Cape Verdean celebration.
The response to the equalizer from Rotterdam-native Deroy Duarte transcends mere joy. It embodies disbelief and exhilaration, soaring through the air alongside the islands’ cherished drinks, grogue and pontche. However, when Lisandro Martínez regains the lead for Argentina, the mood shifts dramatically, highlighting the progress Cape Verde has made.
As the excitement peaks, Sidny Lopes Cabral—whose birthplace is evident—curves a stunning shot past Emiliano Martínez from an almost impossible position. For a fleeting moment, silence envelops the crowd. Then, Cabral rushes to embrace his girlfriend in the stands, while Fortes is swept away in a jubilant sea of Blue Sharks, the team’s nickname. The ground vibrates with an unparalleled energy for this nation.
Frustration sets in when Diney Borges heads Argentina back in front, casting a shadow over the festivities at Club Annabel. The pride remains palpable among fans of the smallest nation to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup, despite trailing the world champions. As the match concludes, supporters, though exhausted, applaud beneath Rotterdam’s towering skyscrapers.
Fortes and a few of his talented peers were among the first from the city to represent Cape Verde on the international stage. He made his debut in 2014, which included a memorable encounter with Senegal’s Sadio Mané at the Africa Cup of Nations, and a friendly victory against Portugal featuring a young Bernardo Silva.
Fortes’s friend Tony Varela caught the attention of Cape Verde’s selectors four years earlier, as the country sought talent abroad. Now a coach at PSV’s academy and a former Sparta player, he reminisces about the past. “For an away game in Africa, we’d sometimes fly all the way up to Europe and back down again, just to save on flights. Most of our players were playing in the islands’ own league. That has completely changed. Now they play in Europe. We have professional chefs, video analysts, everything.”
The term ‘legend’ may be overused, but Jerzy Rocha Livramento bestows it upon Fortes and Varela without hesitation. Known as Jerr, he is a dreadlocked rapper in Broederliefde (Brotherly Love), a prominent Dutch hip-hop group. “They brought us where we are now. Some had to buy their own plane tickets. They did it purely out of love for Cabo and we’re thankful for that.”
Jerr is also the brother and agent of Dailon Livramento, the striker whose four qualifying goals propelled Cape Verde to their first World Cup. Having been through the Sparta and Utrecht academies, their father even caught the eye of Eusébio during his youth days at Benfica.
“In my head, I’m a footballer too,” Jerr confesses. “I still have nightmares about the youth coaches at Utrecht telling me I needed to lose weight. I was never meant to be an artist; it just happened. But nothing has ever come close to this, seeing us here.”
This moment holds profound significance for Cape Verde. “Our parents came here in the 60s looking for a better life and the country they left is still lagging behind,” Jerr explains. “If you take on work there, you can’t even send an invoice by email. We all have families without proper doors and roofs on their houses.
“If you take on work there, you can’t even send an invoice by email. We all have families without proper doors and roofs on their houses. “Hopefully this brings more tourists, investors and prosperity. Not the players from Portugal or anywhere else, but the boys from Rotterdam made this happen. They gave something back after our parents left the country.”
After a night filled with hugs, tears, and handshakes, Fortes makes his way home in the early hours. He has a pre-season friendly against a local amateur team just 12 hours away.
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