Cape Verde’s exploits at the World Cup are ‘even bigger’ than Ireland’s at Italia ‘90, according to one of the heroes of that tournament Ray Houghton.
And the Ireland legend has revealed what he said to Cape Verde’s Dubliner centre-back Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes after the tiny African nation held favourites Spain to a draw last Monday.
Ireland progressed to the knockout stages of our first ever World Cup in 1990 with three draws, at a time when three teams could advance from a group of four.
The format changed after the ‘94 World Cup so only two teams got through, but has reverted for this expanded tournament – meaning Cape Verde could do something similar at their first World Cup.
Speaking to the Irish Mail on Sunday, Houghton said the country of half a million’s qualification and point against Spain the other night was ‘an even bigger thing [than Italia ‘90] in many respects.’
He noted Ireland’s 1990 squad was made up of players from top British teams such as Manchester United, Liverpool and Celtic, while Cape Verde’s squad mainly consists of players from clubs most casual fans won’t have heard of – and the first ever active League Of Ireland player to feature in a World Cup in Shamrock Rovers captain Lopes.
‘That was an extraordinary achievement to get that nil-all draw,’ Houghton said. ‘Absolutely brilliant.
‘You’re always looking for one of the new boys that make the World Cup to do something. We did it in 1990 and – who knows? – maybe Cape Verde could do it.’
Cabo Verde’s Pico Lopes passes the ball as Spain’s Pedri defends during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta on Monday, June 15
Cape Verde’s Dublin-born hero Pico Lopes celebrates after the Spain draw
Pico with Ray Houghton after the Spain match. Photo by David Sneyd/The 42.ie
The man who famously put the ball in the England net Euro ‘88 added: ‘The similarities [with Italia ‘90] are, it’s your first World Cup, you come in and you’re really looking forward to it. There’s a bit of trepidation, because you’re a little bit worried – you don’t want to embarrass yourself.
‘I’m sure when they were going up against Spain, they were thinking, “Oh God, don’t let us lose this by five or six like Curaçao did the day before against Germany.”’
Houghton spoke to Crumlin native Lopes – whose father hails from Cape Verde – after the Spain game in Atlanta.
Former bank worker Lopes – who only turned fully professional in his mid-20s, – has since told media outlets the Ireland legend helped him put the accomplishment ‘in perspective’.
Houghton revealed: ‘I tried to explain to him that – as someone who’s been there and whose career is well and truly over with – the only thing left is memories, and you’ve got to really enjoy every moment.
Houghton revealed: ‘I tried to explain to him that – as someone who’s been there and whose career is well and truly over with – the only thing left is memories, and you’ve got to really enjoy every moment.
‘It’s easy to say, it’s harder to do, because you’re obviously caught up in the matches. But just try and take in everything that you can, because when you finish your career and you look back and you reflect, they’ll be special times.’
The RTÉ co-commentator continued: ‘He said he was looking in the stands to see his mum and dad, and his wife came over by camper van with the kid, so it’s a really great story.’
Houghton called the 34-year-old defender ‘a super lad’.
‘You can tell straight away. He’s so down to earth, so humble, just delighted that he’s got his opportunity to play at a major tournament, and there representing Cape Verde.
‘He’s put Ireland on the map as well. He’s got the thickest Dublin accent. I’d not really spoken to him or heard too much about him, but just speaking to him for 10 minutes after the game just reassured me of the individual that he is, that he is a top-class lad.’
The former Liverpool and Aston Villa midfielder said he was ‘laughing to myself’ at the fact that Lopes wasn’t even born when he played in his first World Cup.
Packie Bonner and his team celebrate with goalscorer David O’Leary after Ireland’s penalty win over Romania to advance to the quarter finals of Italia ’90
Ireland progressed to the knockout stages of our first ever World Cup in 1990 with three draws, at a time when three teams could advance from a group of four
‘It sort of drove it home to me, the difference in ages, but he had the same dreams and aspirations that I had going into it. You want to go there and do yourself proud, do your country proud, do your family proud, and he certainly did that.’
The Scottish-born Houghton shares another similarity with Lopes in playing for their father’s country of birth.
His father was born in Buncrana, Co. Donegal, before his grandmother moved the family to Glasgow for work.
But Houghton has a strong ‘affinity’ for the area, where he has regularly visited, and said he ‘still feel[s] I’ve got a part of Buncrana in me’.
ROBERTO’S PROUD FAMILY BACK IN CAPE VERDE EXPRESS THEIR ‘GREAT PLEASURE’
By Colm McGuirk
Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes’s family in Cape Verde have spoken of their ‘enormous happiness’ and pride in seeing the Dubliner line out for the Blue Sharks.
Some of his thrilled relatives were interviewed on Radiotelevisão Caboverdiana – the country’s national TV network – including his 98-year-old grandfather, before the team secured a famous point against Spain this week.
His grandfather, introduced on screen as Ti Ley, says it is a ‘great pleasure’ for the whole family to witness Lopes playing at the World Cup, and says he has ‘contributed to the country’.
The great-grandfather of Pico’s son Diego still farms his land on São Nicolau, one of 10 volcanic islands that make up the Atlantic archipelago of around half-a-million people, and the place Pico’s father grew up before becoming a seaman.
Pico’s granddad Ti Ley, centre, with other relatives in the TV interview
The Shamrock Rovers captain’s uncle, Perpétuo, says the ‘whole family is happy’ and explains that his nephew was born and raised in Ireland.
He tells the interviewer he remembers visiting the Lopes family in Ireland when Pico – which translates as ‘strong man’ and is also a reference to a local mountain – was only little.
He notes that visiting is not easy, due to transport constraints and work commitments.
Arlindo Gomes, introduced as another relative, describes the achievement as ‘an enormous happiness – especially when it’s a family event’.
He calls it a big ‘source of pride’ that the Cape Verde flag is among the 48 nations that are competing for the World Cup in North America.
One of his fondest memories is parading through the town on an open-top carriage after his heroics at Euro ‘88.
‘I took my Dad back, and it was the first time we’d been back to Buncrana in a long time, and not long after that, he passed away. I think he thoroughly enjoyed it.’
And he said the Cape Verde squad ‘will be mates forever’ if Ireland’s World Cup adventures are anything to go by.
‘I’m still in the WhatsApp group with the former Irish boys. Every one of us through the years are there, from the 1990 squad, the ‘94 squad.
‘We all speak together. We’ve got a truly wonderful bond.
‘Back then, unlike today, we had no mobile phones, we had no iPads. The only thing we had was the Italian TV – and none of us knew what they were saying anyway because it was all in Italian – so we had to find each other’s company and speak a lot to each other, because there’s not a great deal else to do.
‘Whereas it’s totally different today with social media and all the other electronics that you’ve got to keep you busy.
‘We’d be playing cards, we’d be chatting, we’d be going to each other’s rooms when we weren’t training.
‘That’s when you find out about your teammates individually, which I think it’s a good thing. We’ve been great mates ever since.’
Houghton – who scored a penalty in our shootout against Romania at the ‘90 World Cup and in open play against Italy at USA ‘94 – said he misses his old gaffer Jack Charlton ‘dearly’.
‘I interviewed him at his home [for RTÉ] and he actually showed me his World Cup winners medal [from 1966], which is one of my highlights, because I’ve never seen one before.
‘He was kind enough to bring it down and show me it, which was absolutely brilliant.’
