|By Franklyn M Malambo |
During a recent lecture by Dan Markel, General Secretary of the Cape Verde Football Association, I was struck by how a tiny island nation continues to punch above its weight in African football.
Cape Verde is made up of ten islands, with only nine habitable. Admitted into FIFA in 1986, they lack many of the advantages traditionally associated with football success. Yet their progress offers valuable lessons for Zambia and Africa as a whole.
One of the standout factors is stability in terms of who leads the National team. Cape Verde has had only five permanent national team coaches in the last sixteen years. Their current coach Bubista has been in charge for more than five years, leading the nation to back-to-back AFCON quarter-final appearances and taking them to a World Cup for the first time.
In a football environment where quick fixes are often preferred, Cape Verde demonstrates the value of patience and continuity.
Further and maybe even more interesting is their honesty about their current realities. Without a professional domestic league capable of consistently producing elite talent, they have strategically embraced naturalisation and their diaspora to strengthen the senior national team. At the same time, they have not abandoned local football. Through FIFA’s Talent Development Scheme (TDS), they continue investing in youth football and field locally developed boys and girls teams in youth competitions.
It is a balanced approach of solving today’s challenges while preparing for tomorrow.
Commercially, they have also shown innovation. Recognising that official replicas were too expensive for many supporters, they partnered with a Chinese foundation to produce affordable alternatives, reducing the market for counterfeit merchandise and ensuring more revenue flows back into football development.
Any form of revenue is crucial.
Operationally, consistency is key. Permanent agencies handle travel, accommodation and match logistics, creating efficiency and reducing avoidable errors around visas and all. Every successful organisation understands that excellence is often found in systems rather than moments.
Finally, football promotion is treated as a national project. The president, prime minister, musicians and other influential figures actively help market matches and rally public support.
Cape Verde’s story is not one of unlimited resources. It is a story of strategic choices, institutional discipline and clarity of purpose.
For Zambia, the lesson is simple: sustainable football success is not always about having more. Sometimes it is about doing the basics exceptionally well and remaining committed to a long-term vision.
