new delhi, Aug 20
Cape Verde are likely to play an international friendly against India on October 6, it has been learnt. Calcutta or Kochi will host the match, sources in the All India Football Federation (AIFF) told The Telegraph on Wednesday. India will host five-time World Cup champions Brazil in another friendly on October 3 at the Salt Lake Stadium. The AIFF is expecting a confirmation from the Cape Verde football association by Thursday. The island nation in the central Atlantic Ocean, which uses the Cape Verde Time, is six and a half hours behind Indian Standard Time.
Cape Verde’s performance during the 2026 Fifa World Cup caught the imagination of the fans worldwide and it will be a huge boost for Indian football fans to catch a glimpse of stars like goalkeeper Vozinha and Sidny Lopes Cabral, whose stunning strike against Argentina in the last-16 World Cup match was voted Goal of the Tournament. “We are looking at the Salt Lake Stadium or Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi for this international friendly,” a top AIFF official said.
India coach Khalid Jamil could have a preparatory camp from September 21, the day the Fifa window starts, even as AIFF plans for another friendly. The camp could be in Calcutta.
“We are looking at a quality match before the Brazil game,” the AIFF official said. A five-member Brazilian delegation will be in the city on a recce mission. They will visit the Salt Lake Stadium to see the facilities on Thursday evening. Brazil will come with more than 90 members, including players and members of the coaching staff. The delegation may ask for ice-bath facilities inside the dressing room which the Salt Lake Stadium does not have.
New coach
Cape Verde promoted Humberto Bettencourt as the coach of the men’s team on Wednesday following the departure of Bubista.
Bettencourt was Bubista’s assistant in the World Cup.
