Humble Cape Verde not looking down on Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: It's said that many top footballing nations are reluctant to play lower-ranked sides like Malaysia.
Maybe, it doesn't benefit them at all, maybe it doesn't serve any purpose. Maybe they don't want to waste their time on us.
But Cape Verde don't mind doing so. Terima kasih.
The West African team, ranked 72nd in the world, much higher than any Southeast Asian teams, are in town to play two international friendlies against world No. 131 Malaysia this week.
Cape Verde coach Pedro "Bubista" Brito said that his team's objective is to collect meaningful match experience rather than chase world ranking-related results.
"It doesn't matter the rankings of the other teams. The more matches you play, the more experience you have. This is what brings us closer to our target, to qualify for the World Cup."
This is Cape Verde's first visit to Malaysia, and Brito welcomed the opportunity to be in "a far country" as part of their journey toward global recognition.
"It's very important for us to be here so people can know where Cape Verde is," said Brito.
An island nation with a population of only 596,000, Cape Verde has produced stars like Logan Costa (playing for La Liga side Villarreal), Dailon Livramento (Serie A club Verona) and Bryan Teixeira (Bundesliga's Magdeburg).
Brito made it clear that they are not taking lower-ranked Malaysia lightly.
"No, it's never easy. I have all the respect for Malaysia. We are a small country, and this kind of matches are essential for our growth and experience."
Brito is counting on their Selangor player, Alvin Fortes, to help them beat Malaysia in tomorrow's international friendly at KLFA Stadium.
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