Before the magical year of 2019 for Flamengo, João de Deus, right-hand man and assistant of Jorge Jesus, had already designed the plan and the path of a dream that seemed too big for Cape Verde: to compete in the World Cup. The seed was planted by João de Deus between 2008 and 2010, when he was the head coach of the Cape Verde national team, accumulating the function of National Technical Director of the Cape Verdean Football Federation (FCF). In a country where championships are disputed by amateur and semi-professional clubs, spread over nine islands, separated by hours of boat or plane, the Portuguese João focused on training, meetings and training with professionals from all over the country. His goal? To create a standardization in the game system and understanding of football in Cape Verde, where everyone would walk in the same direction. João de Deus with the Cape Verde national team — Photo: Reproduction / Sharks in the Olympus of the Gods of Football Who guarantees that this seed existed is the president of the Cape Verdean Football Federation, Mário Semedo, who received the team of Globo Esporte at the entity's headquarters, in the city of Praia, on the island of Santiago, for an exclusive interview. "Who started the restructuring of the national team was João. He is extraordinary. He elaborated a medium and long-term development plan and through this plan we worked and achieved the proposed objectives until we reached the World Cup." During the interview, we asked Semedo to call João de Deus. The president promptly picked up his phone, called and, on the other side of the line, the Portuguese answered on time. We recorded the conversation and brought it to this report. "It was not a one-person job, many people were committed to making this project a success. I made many friends in Cape Verde, it was a very special work. I want to enjoy this moment seeing Cape Verde in this World Cup", said João de Deus, on the other side of the call, in a video. João de Deus was responsible for the elaboration and architecture, but the construction did not stop there. Who took over next was the Cape Verdean Lúcio Antunes, who led the Sharks to the first African Cup of Nations in history, in 2013, a leap that put the country on the African football map. Jorge Jesus and João de Deus in the times of Flamengo — Photo: Twitter/Flamengo Then came the Portuguese Rui Águas, in two passages (2014-2016 and 2016-2018), responsible for continuing the status achieved and taking Cape Verde to the African Cup of Nations, in 2015. Between one cycle and another, there were also those who passed through the command, such as Felisberto "Beto" Cardoso and Janito "Kivs" Carvalho, in periods of transition, until the arrival of Pedro Leitão Brito, the Bubista. Assistant to many before becoming the commander, Bubista took Cape Verde to the World Cup for the first time and was elected African Coach of the Year 2025 by the CAF. He is the one who will be on the sidelines commanding the Sharks at the Levi's Stadium, in Atlanta, on the opening day against Spain, on June 15, in Group H. Cape Verde is in the World Cup. And part of this story is a journey back in time, rescuing those who helped pave the way for the most impactful generation of Cape Verdean football to present itself to the world.