Pedro Miguel Cardoso Monteiro — tsohon mai tsaron Cape Verde wanda aka fi sani da suna Pele — ya yi imanin cewa kyawawan wasanni na ƙasar sa a Kofin Duniya na FIFA 2026 sun tabbatar da cewa Blue Sharks na iya yin gogayya da manyan ƙungiyoyi na nahiyar Afirka.
Cape Verde sun zo Kofin Duniya na farko a matsayin ƙaramin ƙulli a Ƙungiya H, tare da tsoffin zakara Spain da Uruguay, da kuma Saudi Arabia. Kaɗan ne suka yi imanin za su iya wuce matakin ƙungiyoyi.
Duk da haka, Blue Sharks sun zama ɗaya daga cikin manyan mamakoki na gasar. Sun dakatar da Spain a 0-0, sannan suka yi 2-2 da Uruguay a wasan mai ban sha'awa, yana barin su da damar gaske ta ci gaba zuwa zagaye na 32 — idan sun ci Saudi Arabia ranar Asabar.
Kwarin gwiwa ga AFCON
Pele, wanda ya wakilci Cape Verde tsakanin 2006 da 2009, ya ce waɗannan sakamakon sun canza tsammanin abin da wannan ƙasar tsibiri za ta iya cimma a matakin nahiya. Mafi kyawun nasarar Cape Verde a Africa Cup of Nations ita ce kai ƙarshe kashi ɗaya bisa huɗu a shekarun 2013 da 2023.
"Abu mafi muhimmanci shi ne cewa Cabo Verde na iya yin gogayya a AFCON. Za mu iya yin gogayya da kowa a Afirka amma mun nuna wa Spain cewa za mu iya yin gogayya da kowa a duniya ma."
Wanda yake da shekara 48, wanda ya yi magana a hira ta musamman da Boyle Sports, ya ce manufa dole ta zama ci gaba da shiga Kofin Duniya da ƙarshe lashe gasar kamar AFCON, yana cewa yana farin cikin inda ƙasar ta kai a yanzu.
Vozinha a ƙarƙashin fitila
Ɗaya daga cikin manyan jaruman tafiyar Cape Verde shi ne ɗan wasan ƙofa mai shekara 40 Vozinha, wanda toshewarsa ta muhimmanci a kan Spain ta ja hankali duniya. Pele yana ɗaukar cewa ƙungiyoyi da dama suna lura da ɗan wasan ƙofa duk da shekarunsa.
"Kullum muna ganin 'yan wasa suna yin manyan canjawa-canjawa bayan Kofin Duniya amma tabbas za ka dubi Vozinha da shekarunsa ka ce watakila ya ɗan yi latti? Amma ban yi imanin haka ba. Bai taɓa yin latti ba don komai. Shekara lamba ce kawai," in ji Pele.
Pele kuma ya yi imanin cewa wannan baje kolin duniya zai amfani dukkan 'yan wasan Cape Verde — musamman waɗanda suke wasa a ƙananan ƙungiyoyi kuma yanzu za su iya amfani da wannan dandalin don ƙara ci gaba a ayyukansu.
Masu fafatawa don kambun
Sa'ad da aka tambaye shi game da masu fafatawa don kambun duniya, Pele ya ambaci France, Argentina, da Spain a matsayin ƙungiyoyi mafi ƙarfi. A kansa, yana son ganin England ɗauke da kambun, ƙasar da yake zaune inda iyalinsa duka suke.
Game da Portugal, Pele ya fi yin shakku: "Jerin 'yan wasa ya yi ban mamaki amma akwai wani abu da ya ɓace. Portugal ba ta nan ba tukuna."
Labarin laƙabi
Pele ya bayyana cewa laƙabinsa ya kasance sunan yarinta kawai wanda ya makala a kansa, yana tuna lokacin da ya shiga Southampton inda ƙungiyar ta so ta ba shi riga lamba 10 — buƙatar da ya ƙi, yana tunatar da su da barkwanci cewa shi ɗan tsaron ciki ne, ba ɗan wasan gaba ba.
"Ban da komai da shi. Yana cikin nishaɗin," Pele ya ƙare.
