World Cup while you were sleeping: Cabo Verde stun Spain, Belgium draw, Tunisia sack coach
World Cup minnows Cabo Verde produce one of the shocks of any tournament, Sabri Lamouchi pays price for loss, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay draw
Hands up anyone who thought we’d be discussing Cabo Verde on Tuesday morning with anything other than slightly condescending remarks about plucky debutants just enjoying being at a World Cup?
Or that with 15 matches gone, and some less-than-inspiring displays among the presumptive favourites already in the books, we’d still lack any sign of their being a special team in the mix.
And what odds would you have had on a coach being sacked inside the first week when Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis isn’t making the decisions?
To suggest it’s been a busy few hours is something of an understatement. From a remarkable draw in Atlanta, to an overreaction in Tunisia, an absorbing clash between Egypt and Belgium, and the opening skirmishes of Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, here’s what happened while you were sleeping.
Just another draw
Uruguay and Saudi Arabia battled out a 1-1 draw in Miami, where the temperature finally justified Fifa’s much-hated hydration breaks.