Thabang Monare: Cape Verde have the heart and can play

The Blue Sharks as the Cape Verde’s senior men’s national football team is concerned, has matched their best run so far at the AFCON by reaching the quarterfinals, something they last achieved in 2013 in South Africa.

Ahead of Bafana’s game in the last eight at the Stade Charles-Konan-Banny in Yamoussoukro against the West African nation, Monare looks at what has made them a strong team at this AFCON.

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"They can really play and also it shows why they conquered that group, they have heart. So, we need to not match that to beat them. I think there's a difference in this tournament, the heart, attitude, the mentality, I think that's the difference. If you would have that better than the team you are playing on the day, I don't think you'll be stopped, you'll be very unstoppable. So, I think that's what matters in this tournament and they have that," Monare said.

With few of their players, campaigning in top leagues in the Serie A, Spanish La Liga and the French League, Monare says Cape Verde’s strength has never been about big name players.

Most of their players are found in smaller leagues like Austria, Turkish Super Liga, USA’s Major League Soccer (MLS), and Portugal.

"I think that's what they have, more than just good players. They have good players. A lot of teams have good players but heart, the right mentality, the right attitude, the never say die attitude and resilience. I think that the difference," Monare added.

Cape Verde made headlines in the group stages as they won Group B with seven points from three matches, finishing unbeaten ahead of Egypt and Ghana, two nations with 11 AFCON titles between them.

But Bafana have also produced three clean sheets in a row, and this has earned them a lot of respect in this tournament, Monare has more on what has been behind this solid defensive approach.

"Hard work as I said, big heart, character, absorbing resilience, willing to do that shifting and get behind when the time comes. I think that's the difference from plain site but I think we would focus more on wanting to look for the shoe shine but I think what makes this team is the heart. When we are willing to take it when it comes, when it's that time of the game where we just need to take the hits, we do, we take the hits."