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China-Africa relations
ChinaDiplomacy

China’s role in Cabo Verde’s historic World Cup draw with Spain

Part of China’s “stadium diplomacy”, the country’s national arena was financed by Beijing and built by a Chinese contractor

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Vozinha, Cabo Verde's goalplayer, carries the national flag after the team's draw against Spain in the US city of Atlanta on Monday. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
Dulue Mbachu
On Monday, thousands of Cabo Verdeans poured out onto the streets of their capital, Praia, beating drums, blowing horns and dancing to celebrate the national football team’s shock draw against Spain at the World Cup.
For Cabo Verde, an archipelago of 500,000 people off the coast of West Africa, a stalemate with former World Cup champions is as good as a win. President Jose Maria Neves described it as a defining moment for the country, which became independent from Portugal in 1975.

“If today, 50 years later, we are at the World Cup, we have already proven that we are a viable nation,” he wrote on Facebook, following the match in the US city of Atlanta.

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Yet, the story of the former colony’s footballing achievements is not complete without mentioning China’s role in building the country’s sports infrastructure.

This included the 15,000-capacity Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde, which was completed in 2014. The stadium was financed by Beijing and built by a Chinese state-owned contractor. This followed Cabo Verde’s first appearance at the African Cup of Nations in 2013, when the national team made it to the quarter-finals for the first time.

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The stadium became the national team’s home turf, from which it has launched subsequent qualifying campaigns.

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