CAPE VERDE

One of the living legends of Cape Verdean football and, along with Ryan Mendes, the only player to play at every major tournament Cape Verde have featured in, Josimar ‘Vozinha’ Dias is a national treasure. Arguably the country’s most beloved footballer, he only left the country at 25, turning professional when he signed for Angolan side Progresso do Sambizanga. Six months later he made his Cape Verde debut in a 2-0 win against Cameroon that helped to send the country to their first ever Afcon in 2013. “The first game he played I was scared because I didn't know what he was capable of,” Fernando Neves, Vozinha’s captain and centre back on the day, told the Guardian. “But after 10 minutes I wasn't scared. For me he's the best goalkeeper in Cape Verde's history.” Now Vozinha will make his World Cup bow just a week after turning 40.

Despite spending more than a decade in Portugal, at the last World Cup Borges had to cheer against the Lusos, instead supporting his adopted nation Morocco. The aggressive, battling centre-back was enjoying an unexpected spell with Moroccan club ASFAR Rabat where he enjoyed four successful years. Borges has been with Cape Verde for nine years but has only got a proper run in the team in the past 12 months. An ACL injury to star defender Logan Costa thrust Borges into the fray and he took his chance. He struck up a solid partnership with Pico Lopes and only Dailon Livramento scored more goals in qualifying for the Blue Sharks. If Costa returns to start, Borges will consider himself a very unlucky man.