Basketball World Cup 2023: Why South Sudan and Cape Verde can shine

Emanuel Trovoada's achievement was spectacular in guiding Cape Verde from 13 points behind to beat 2021 Afrobasket runners-up Ivory Coast and clinch qualification.

The coach of the smallest nation ever to play at the tournament then had a special request for the country's leader, Ulisses Correia e Silva, at a government reception to celebrate the feat.

"He asked the prime minister to create the conditions for at least one journalist to accompany the team to the World Cup," says Cape Verdean journalist Marcos Fonseca, explaining that although expectations are high among fans, players and staff, the wider population of less than 600,000 on the island is not strongly invested in their fortunes.

"The lack of involvement, for me, is due to the fact that we don't have any reporting team following and informing society of what is going on.

"The excuse is always that the cost is high. Emanuel Trovoada felt this lack of coverage very much."

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