"I said it from the start, my stance remains the same. I don't think the game should be played." Roberto Lopes isn't softening, and he isn't moving on. Despite the Dáil rejecting opposition proposals to block the fixtures, the Shamrock Rovers captain is still calling on someone — anyone — to take the decision out of the FAI's hands entirely.
His timing is notable. Lopes made these comments from the United States, days before Cape Verde's first-ever World Cup fixture against Spain in Atlanta. He could be talking about Lamine Yamal. He's talking about this instead. That tells you how strongly he feels.
The FAI situation
"It's terrible that the players have been put in this position. It's terrible that the FAI have been put in this position as well," Lopes said. "It's a decision that should have been taken out of their hands."
He's right that it's an uncomfortable spot for everyone involved. An FAI board meeting is expected to explore moving the Dublin fixture to a neutral venue, though UEFA approval would be required. That's a slow, uncertain process — and with the game approaching, time isn't exactly on anyone's side.
The Dáil vote killed the clearest political route to stopping the fixture. What's left is institutional maneuvering, and Lopes clearly has little faith that it'll produce the outcome most Irish people, in his reading, actually want.
Cape Verde vs Spain — the other story
Lopes is, for now, a World Cup footballer. Cape Verde qualified for their first-ever tournament, and they open Group H against Spain — the second favourites to lift the trophy. A 3-0 friendly win over Serbia and another 3-0 over Bermuda in preparation. The mood in camp, by his account, is good.
Whether he starts is another matter. "That's the manager's decision... I never take anything for granted," he said, refusing to assume his place in the XI despite being a defensive regular for the national side.
He and St Patrick's Athletic goalkeeper Joseph Anang are the two League of Ireland players at the tournament. Both clubs will earn roughly €7,000 per day in FIFA compensation — a six-figure windfall by the time the group stage concludes.
"Very few people get to be at a World Cup," Lopes said. Spain, though, are a reminder of exactly how far Cape Verde have come — and how steep the climb still is.
