🇨🇻 Cabo Verde

Bubista typically deploys a 4-3-3 that quickly becomes a 4-5-1 out of possession, with the wide forwards Garry Rodrigues and Ryan Mendes tucking in to form a compact mid-block. Jamiro Monteiro sits as the deepest of the three central midfielders, recycling possession and protecting the back four. Build-up is direct rather than elaborate, with Logan Costa and Wagner Pina encouraged to play forward quickly to trigger transitions.

Watch Jamiro Monteiro pull the strings in central midfield — a technically tidy operator who has spent years in professional European football and gives Cabo Verde their best chance of controlling a game. Out wide, Garry Rodrigues brings direct, explosive running from the right flank, capable of beating defenders in one-on-one situations, while veteran Ryan Mendes offers the clinical edge and experience to punish any defensive lapse in the final third.

Logan Costa's composure at Villarreal gives the back line genuine top-level quality, while Garry Rodrigues's ability to carry the ball at pace makes Cabo Verde dangerous on the counter. The team's collective defensive discipline under Bubista — proven across multiple AFCON campaigns — makes them genuinely difficult to break down.

The squad's attacking depth beyond the established trio of Ryan Mendes, Garry Rodrigues, and Jovane Cabral is thin, with several forwards playing in lower-tier leagues. Jamiro Monteiro operating at PEC Zwolle in the Dutch second tier raises questions about whether the midfield engine room can cope with the intensity of World Cup group-stage opponents.