Cape Verde have appointed Humberto Bettencourt as their new head coach, promoting the long-serving assistant as the Blue Sharks look to build on their historic 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.
The 51-year-old succeeds Bubista, who left the national team to take charge of Moroccan club RS Berkane.
Bettencourt spent six years as Bubista’s assistant and played a key role in the technical team that oversaw Cape Verde’s rise on the international stage, including their impressive debut at the 2026 World Cup.
The Cape Verdean Football Federation has opted for continuity, with Bettencourt already familiar with the squad, playing philosophy and structures behind the team’s recent progress.
His immediate priority will be the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with key fixtures scheduled during the September and October international windows.
Continuing the World Cup project
Cape Verde’s historic World Cup campaign significantly raised expectations around the national team.
The Blue Sharks emerged as one of the surprise packages of the tournament, becoming the only team to avoid defeat against eventual champions Spain and also drawing with Uruguay.
Their campaign eventually ended against Argentina in the Round of 32, but Cape Verde pushed the South Americans into extra time.
Bettencourt was part of the coaching team throughout that campaign and his knowledge of the squad is understood to have been an important factor behind his promotion.
Six years as Bubista’s assistant
Bettencourt’s six-year spell as Bubista’s number two gives him considerable experience of the players and the methods that have helped transform Cape Verde into a competitive force.
His appointment means the federation can maintain continuity rather than embark on a complete rebuilding process following Bubista’s departure.
However, Bettencourt will now have to step out of the assistant’s role and take full responsibility for results.
The challenge will be to preserve the qualities that made Cape Verde difficult to beat while introducing his own ideas and managing the greater expectations surrounding the team.
AFCON qualifiers provide first major test
Bettencourt’s first competitive assignment will be the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.
With fixtures coming during the September and October international windows, he will have little time to settle into his new role.
The Blue Sharks will be expected to use the experience gained at the World Cup as a springboard for further progress on the African continent.
Cape Verde are also entering a new phase in which they will no longer be regarded simply as outsiders after their performances against some of the world’s biggest footballing nations.
For Bettencourt, the objective will be to ensure the 2026 World Cup is not remembered as an isolated achievement, but as the beginning of a sustained period of success for Cape Verdean football.
