By Ikenna Agu
Experienced defender Ricardo has opted out of the 23-man Cape Verde squad for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in favour of playing for his club. The 32-year-old Pacos de Ferreira player is one of three senior figures missing for Cape Verde, who will make their tournament debut in South Africa.
Ex-captain Lito and striker Dady have been omitted by Coach Lucio Antunes. Cape Verde will play South Africa in the opening game of the competition on 19 January in Johannesburg. Atunes is the first boss of the 16 finalists to name his squad and has selected only one home-based player in uncapped reserve goalkeeper Rilly from Mindelsense. The rest of the players come from clubs in Angola, Cyprus, France, Romania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal.
Cape Verde qualified for the finals by pulling off a shock result against Cameroon in the final-round qualifier, winning 3-2 over two legs.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Fock (Petro Atletico, Angola), Rilly (Mindelense), Vozinha (Progresso Sambizanga, Angola)
Defenders: Carlitos (AEL Limassol, Cyprus), Fernando Varela (FC Vaslui, Romania), Gege (Maritimo, Portugal), Guy Ramos (RKC Waalwijk, Holland), Josimar (FC Dordrecht, Holland), Nando (Chateauroux, France), Nivaldo (Academica Coimbra, Portugal), Pecks (Gil Vicente,
Portugal)
Midfielders: Babanco, David Silva (both Olhanense, Portugal), Marco Soares (Omonia Nicosia, Cyprus), Odair Fortes (Stade Reims, France), Roni (Fola Esch, Luxembourg), Stenio (Feirense, Portugal), Toni Varela
(Sparta Rotterdam, Holland)
Forwards: Djaniny (Olhanense, Portugal), Heldon (Maritimo, Portugal), Julio Tavares (Dijon, France).
