Rotterdam has a flair for creating football stories that resonate deeply. Six players from Cape Verde, who have shone on the World Cup stage, were born in this city, located nearly 5,000 kilometers from their ancestral islands. Five of these players faced Argentina, the reigning champions, in a heartbreaking 3-2 loss.
Following Cape Verde’s qualification for the knockout stage after a draw with Saudi Arabia last Saturday, the streets of Rotterdam were alive with honking cars, flags fluttering from windows, and people celebrating in dance. Locals lovingly refer to their city as the 10th island of Cape Verde. The vibrant diasporas from Curaçao and Morocco have also brought their own festive spirit to the tournament.
This bustling city is home to approximately 25,000 Kriolu, the term Cape Verdeans use for themselves. Among them is Jeffry Fortes, the son of a dockworker, like many of his fellow countrymen. The lively and charismatic 37-year-old plays as a right-back for second-tier club Den Bosch, boasting over 400 appearances in the top divisions of Dutch football.
His dedication earned him 26 caps for Cape Verde before his career took an unexpected turn in 2023 due to a dispute with the football federation’s management. “I’m not going to speak badly about them,” he states. “I’m their biggest fan now.”
Fortes joins a crowd of 1,600 enthusiastic Cape Verdeans gathered at Club Annabel, sporting a blue shirt emblazoned with the image of Amílcar Cabral, the leader of Cape Verde’s independence movement from Portugal.
“As a professional footballer it’s a disappointment to be on the sidelines,” he remarks. “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.”
In the venue’s expansive beer garden, an African drum band and dancers create a festive atmosphere, complemented by strings of flags representing various World Cup nations. For the attendees, it is Vozinha’s world, with Lionel Messi merely residing in it. The crowd cheers for the hydration break, a first at this World Cup, but when Messi scores shortly thereafter, a fleeting sense of disappointment mingles with the jubilant celebrations.
The uproar that follows Deroy Duarte’s equalizer, hailing from Rotterdam, transcends mere joy. It embodies disbelief, soaring through the air alongside the islands’ beloved drinks, grogue and pontche. However, Lisandro Martínez quickly restores Argentina’s lead, revealing the emotional toll this match takes on Cape Verde’s supporters.
The excitement peaks when Sidny Lopes Cabral – his birthplace is evident – expertly curls the ball past Emiliano Martínez from a nearly impossible angle. For a brief moment, silence envelops the crowd. Then, Cabral rushes to embrace his girlfriend in the stands, while Fortes immerses himself in a wave of jubilant Blue Sharks, the team’s nickname. The energy is palpable, shaking the very foundations of this nation.
As Diney Borges heads Argentina back ahead, frustration grips Club Annabel. The smallest nation to reach the World Cup knockout stage feels disheartened to be trailing the world champions, yet Fortes openly expresses his pride. The shared sentiment is evident as fans, exhausted yet resolute, applaud under the towering skyscrapers of Rotterdam.
Fortes and a select group of his talented peers were among the pioneers representing Cape Verde from this city. He debuted for the national team in 2014, experiencing memorable moments like facing Senegal’s Sadio Mané at the Africa Cup of Nations and securing a 2-0 friendly victory over Portugal, where a young Bernardo Silva took the field.
Tony Varela, a close friend of Fortes, drew Cape Verde’s interest four years prior while the country sought talent abroad. The former Sparta player, now a coach at PSV’s academy, recalls 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.”
Though the term ‘legend’ has become commonplace, Jerzy Rocha Livramento applies it without hesitation to Fortes and Varela. Known as Jerr, he is a dreadlocked rapper in Broederliefde (Brotherly Love), one of the most prominent Dutch hip-hop groups in recent years. “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 manager of Dailon Livramento, the striker whose four goals in qualifying propelled Cape Verde to its inaugural World Cup. Having been part of the Sparta and Utrecht academies, their father, Humberto Livramento, caught the attention of Eusébio during his youth days with Benfica.
“In my head, I’m a footballer too,” Jerr reflects. “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.”
“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, with a pre-season friendly against a local amateur team looming just 12 hours away.
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