THE COACH | LUCIO ANTUNES
Lucio Antunes was appointed as coach in 2010 following the withdrawal of Joao de Deus, who managed the team for several years, working alongside Antunes and other local hands. Both men discovered a score of young talents for the outfit and created a stable group that had great focus on the future.While assisting in the senior outfit, Antunes was assuming the post of head coach of the Under-21 team, whom he led to the 2009 Lusophone Games in Lisbon, going on to win the competition. The Cape Verde football authorities believe that the coach has a great knowledge of the Island’s football following his steady rise from the youth to the senior level, and he will be required to prove as much in South Africa.
THE CAPTAIN | FERNANDO NEVES
Fernando Neves, popularly known as Nando, joined the Cape Verde team in 2005 and has been a regular ever since, earning the captaincy in 2009 due to his calm and collected disposition and his ability to quickly settle differences between players. He has appeared in 28 games with the Blue Sharks and has been described by successive coaches as an inspirational figure within the team.The 34-year-old centre-back began his career in 1998 at Portuguese club Amarante before joining Swiss side Grasshopper and subsequently playing in Tunisia, Qatar and Czech Republic before signing with French Ligue 2 club Chateauroux, where he currently plies his trade. Nando was a member of the Cape Verde squad that played in the 2006 and 2010 World Cup qualifying campaigns.
THE STAR PLAYER | RYAN MENDES
Ryan Mendes had his youth career at Cape Verdean club Batuque Futebol Clube before being spotted by French scouts, who linked him to Le Havre in 2008, where he spent four seasons honing his skills and scoring 19 goals in 97 games. His ability to find holes in the opposing defence and dribble his way through earned him invitations to the junior national team categories, where he represented the nation in competitions involving the U16 and U21 sides.Mendes signed for Lille in 2012 and has been described by the coach as a player with great potential, who is goof in the air and uses body strength to shield the ball and bring it under control. He scored three goals during the 2013 Afcon qualifying and proved to be a permanent danger in front of goal across the campaign. At just 22, the winger has earned for himself a key role in the Cape Verde team and is likely to be the top attraction for local fans during the tournament.
