The noise from Praia is something else. A 0-0 draw against Spain might feel like a loss in Madrid, but here it’s a national celebration. And behind the scenes, the usual suspects in Whitehall are quietly smug.
UK aid money, channelled into grassroots football programmes, is being hailed as a key factor in this result. The narrative writes itself. Soft power success story.
Labour’s development team must be delighted. The question is if this survives the next spending review. Treasury knives are already being sharpened.
But for now, let them have the headlines. Cap Verde drew with Spain. And the UK got a nod in the match report.
