Pico Lopes said that he and his team-mates had "held our nerve" to secure a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia which was enough to progress to the knockout phase of the World Cup and a Round of 32 clash with Lionel Messi and Argentina.

The Blue Sharks' 0-0 draw with the Saudis was enough to send them through as runners-up in Group H – a point above third-placed Uruguay.

A third draw means Cape Verde are still unbeaten on their World Cup debut, and there were jubilant scenes when the country found out Uruguay’s defeat to Spain in the other group match would see them progress.

After the game, the Shamrock Rovers' defender took a video call from his club manager, Stephen Bradley, who was on analyst duty for RTÉ.

"Aw, you're joking," Lopes replied, when informed he was live on TV. "I better tone it down a little bit. Would you believe I got called for doping?

"The first two games were amazing and gave us a great opportunity. It would have meant nothing if we had gone and spoiled it today.

"Thankfully, we held our nerve and got the point we needed. And we have a great game to look forward to next."

Cape Verde, an African country with a population of just over 500,000, will now come up against the reigning champions in Miami next Friday.

Few would have predicted the side ranked 67th in the FIFA rankings would have made it through a group which included Spain and Uruguay, but Cape Verde now get the chance to pit their wits against an in-form Messi.

Head coach Bubista said at his post-match press conference: "To us, nothing is impossible.

"Ourselves and the people of Cape Verde have to be proud of what the team has done. First of all, we are proud to be able to play Argentina.

"From the very beginning, we’ve said that one of the purposes we had was to show our country to the rest of the world.

"To be able to play Argentina and Messi in a phase like this is excellent for our country, regardless of the match itself.

"Of course we represent our country, but we also represent Africa. And beyond that, we represent the small countries around the world.

"And this is our mission. We are an example that shows that if you work with focus and determination, sooner or later you will arrive at your goal."

Additional reporting: PA

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Source: RTE