5 things to know about Cape Verde’s miracle-making manager Bubista

Ahead of the World Cup, many thought that Cape Verde, with a population of around 500,000 were there just for the ride. But after holding former champions Spain to a draw and eliminating past winners Uruguay, fans are now wondering who is the manager who has led the underdogs to unprecedented glory?

1. He loved football but did not own a proper one

Born Pedro Leitao Brito in 1970, he was nicknamed Bubista which in Cape Verdean Creole means someone who is from Boa Vista, one of the country’s 10 islands where he was born and raised.

Like many of its inhabitants, he was intrigued by football and grew up kicking footballs his mother made with socks.

2. He watched the World Cup on the only TV in his village

Growing up in Africa, which never hosted the competition until 2010, and in a small country that had never qualified for the extravaganza, the World Cup was accessible only on TV.

In the rural village of Povoacao Velha, there was only one TV, although that did not stop Bubista from making the trek to get his fix.

He said: “I was very, very young, and back then there was only one TV set in my village, Povoacao Velha, on my home island of Boa Vista, and it wasn’t easy to get to.

“I remember Lothar Matthaus from back then and players of the calibre of Eder and Falcao of Brazil. And then you had Diego Maradona, of course. Those are my World Cup memories.”

3. He was a former national player

The 1.80m Bubista became a centre-back and went on to play in Spain’s second tier with Badajoz, ASA in Angola, Estoril in Portugal, before ending his playing career back home with Falcoes do Norte.

There are different accounts about his international career, but according to Transfermarkt, he made his Cape Verde debut at 30 in a 0-0 draw with Algeria, collected a total of 16 caps and captained the national team on at least two occasions.

4. Turning fantasies into reality

Bubista then cut his teeth as a manager exclusively with local clubs such as Mindelense, with whom he won the Cape Verdean Football Championships in 2013, Academica do Mindelo, Sporting Praia and Batuque.

He was appointed Cape Verde manager in 2020 and helped them qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021 and 2023 – they reached the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively.

On Oct 13, he helped Cape Verde secure historic World Cup qualification after a 3-0 home win against Eswatini. With a population of around 550,000, they were the smallest nation to reach the World Cup before Curacao, with a population of 150,000, took over the record when they qualified a month later.

Bubista, 56, said then: “There’s no fear. We’re not scared of anything.”

His team proved it was not just talk by remaining unbeaten in their World Cup debut, holding Saudi Arabia (0-0), former world champions Spain (0-0) and Uruguay (2-2) to draws to progress to the last 32 as Group H runners-up.

Defending champions Argentina await on July 3, but the dream lives on.

5. He scoured the globe to assemble his team

Unlike his domestic managerial career that was confined to Cape Verde, Bubista had to look far and wide for talents to put together his 26-man World Cup squad.

His players, 14 of whom were born outside Cape Verde, ply their trade in 14 countries – Portugal, Bulgaria, United States, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Spain, Turkey, Finland, Russia, Romania, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Hungary, and Israel.