Ryan Mendes is not even a household name in Turkey, where he plays for second division Igdir, but next summer, soccer fans around the world will be well aware of both him and his team.
The 35-year-old is captain of the Cape Verde national team and was at the heart of its 3-0 win over Eswatini last week, which booked the side a first-ever appearance at the World Cup.
This was no freak occurrence, as Cape Verde, which leans heavily on its Portuguese colonial past for a supply of players, is a very decent side.
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