The 13th of October, 2025, is a date that the Cape Verdean people will not soon forget. It was the day they earned, for the first time, a place in the most important competition in world football.
With around 525,000 inhabitants spread across 10 islands, Cape Verde became the second least populous country (after Iceland) to qualify for a World Cup.
Yannick Semedo is one of the heroes of this African nation with strong ties to Portugal. The Farense midfielder was part of an absolutely historic journey that culminated in the long-awaited qualification.
“I'm living the dream of many friends, family members, and so many people who always wanted to be here,” he said in this exclusive interview with Flashscore.
Yannick, what have the first few hours been like after the 3-0 victory over Eswatini, which resulted in the historic qualification for the World Cup?
"I don't think it's sunk in yet. It's an enormous joy. These have been unique and unforgettable moments. We managed to make history with our people and with everyone's support. Feeling all this affection these days has been something indescribable.
"I've always dreamed of moments like this since I was a child. I want to enjoy these days, but I already know that it's important to switch gears, because soon I'll be back at Farense, and there are other challenges to conquer."
Does your mobile phone still have battery? Have you been receiving many calls and messages?
"To be honest, I haven't even had time to reply to all the people who congratulated me. It's been a very intense few hours, full of joy and sharing. I've received messages from many friends I've played with, who were happy for our achievement, but also from former coaches, family members and several people close to me. Everyone shared our joy."
Still very emotional, what does this achievement mean to you? What was it like experiencing it all at home, at the Cape Verde National Stadium?
"I think it had an even more special flavour because it happened on the last matchday and at home. It was a whirlwind of emotions. As for the game, we knew we had to be patient and that we had the quality to win, despite the pressure to settle the match.
"The end... it was a real outpouring of emotions. It's been many years of struggle, many years in the lower divisions, many years dreaming of reaching this moment. I reached the sky, we reached the sky together, and we made history."
After such a remarkable achievement, what do you think this qualification could mean for the future of Cape Verdean football?
"I think it could be an important step for us to continue to improve our football and for people to start looking differently at the Cape Verdean talent that exists in this country. It could be decisive in opening doors for more of our players.
"We know that we're now being watched all over the world, even if only out of curiosity about Cape Verde. I think few believed this was possible, but we always knew we had quality."
'There's a lot of quality in our country'
Cape Verde is one of the smallest countries in terms of population to reach a World Cup. What does this achievement reveal about your people and your identity as a nation?
"It's true. There are only a few of us, but it's incredible how many athletes we've produced for the whole world. There's a lot of quality in our country. This shows the resilience that's in our blood, our will to fight, to run more, to fight harder and to nurture a huge desire to reach the top.
"There's a lot of talent in Cape Verde, and I believe that in the coming years, even more athletes will emerge in the national team."
And what can we expect from Cape Verde at the World Cup?
"The same identity we've shown so far. A team that plays attacking football, with joy, intensity, competitiveness and a huge sense of responsibility. We know that the level of our opponents will be very high and that we'll face tough challenges, but we also know that this is another opportunity to make history.
"We want to enjoy the competition, but with the responsibility of continuing to represent our nation. Whoever we face, you can be sure that we will fight until the last moment to be happy again. Dreaming doesn't cost anything."
'I'm living the dream of so many people'
Finally, when you look back on your career, what emotions come over you when you see your country making history with you on the pitch?
"As I said, it's a mix of emotions. Since I was a child, I dreamed of playing for the Cape Verde national team. Any kid dreams of that, and knowing that I helped qualify the team for a competition like the World Cup... It's a dream.
"I'm living the dream of many friends, family members, and so many people who have always wanted to be here. I know everything I had to go through to get to this moment. It's been a very hard road, very tough. But now, looking back, it was all worth it."