Cape Verde brothers Laros and Deroy Duarte have spoken about the unforgettable moment they went head-to-head with Spain’s rising star Lamine Yamal during their remarkable World Cup draw. Although the Barcelona prodigy took the field with immense hype surrounding him, the underdog siblings shared that they never once felt intimidated by his presence.
Overcoming the Yamal aura
The Rotterdam-born duo played pivotal roles in Atlanta, where tournament debutants Cape Verde earned a point that sent shockwaves throughout the footballing world. While many defenders dread facing Yamal, Deroy Duarte explained that his team had a clear plan to contain the teenage sensation right from his first touch.
“You hear all those fans cheering and you can sense from his aura that a top player is coming in,” Deroy told ESPN. “But the moment he touched the ball, our left-back and left-winger immediately pressed him. We knew right then: today he’s not going to do anything.”
Even with the introduction of Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal for the final 20 minutes, Spain could not find a way past Cape Verde’s organised defence. The Blue Sharks maintained their structure with discipline, leaving the European heavyweights looking unusually blunt for the entire 90 minutes.
A family milestone on the global stage
For Laros and Deroy, the goalless draw represented a deeply emotional family achievement. Laros started the game and played for an hour before being replaced by his brother—a substitution that combined pride and mixed emotions. “That was a bit crazy. Ideally, you want to be on the pitch together, but we support each other completely. Once I came off, I turned into a fan and that’s when the nerves kicked in,” Laros said. “On the field, you don’t really take it in. But when the final whistle blows, it’s pure celebration.”
The emotion extended to the stands, where their parents were seen in tears of joy. “We saw our parents cry,” the brothers shared after the match. “It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe—it’s something you only dream about.”
The emotional atmosphere mirrored the reaction of veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, who was visibly moved after earning his 90th international cap during the draw.
Respecting the elite
Despite their fearless approach, the Duarte brothers acknowledged the immense quality in Spain’s squad. Facing world-class players such as Rodri and Pedri gave them a firsthand taste of football at the highest level. “When someone turns or plays a brilliant pass, you just think: this is world-class,” they admitted. Yet their determination was sharpened after watching smaller nations struggle—specifically mentioning Curacao’s 7-1 defeat to Germany the previous night.
“You realise that could have been us. But once the match began, we were focused from the start. I looked at the clock, saw 20 minutes had passed, and everything was going well. From that moment, I knew there was something possible here,” Laros recalled.
Chasing the knockout dream
With a valuable point already secured in Group H, Cape Verde are no longer content with just participating. The result has transformed expectations for the African side as they look ahead to their remaining fixtures. The Duarte brothers believe this is only the beginning of their journey in North America, despite being underestimated before the tournament. “We can fight for more. Everyone gave us little chance, but we always believed we could advance,” they concluded.
After frustrating one of the tournament favourites, the Blue Sharks have earned the right to dream big as they prepare to face Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in their quest for a place in the knockout stages.
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