Cape Verde appoint Umberto Betenkor as new head coach
Former assistant who helped reach the World Cup knockout stage takes over; September AFCON qualifiers are his first task.
Cape Verde have named Umberto Betenkor as their new head coach, replacing the man who led them to the biggest achievement in the nation's football history.
Betenkor, who holds passports for Cape Verde and Portugal, joins the national setup after serving as assistant to Pedro Leitao Brito, widely known as Bubista. That coaching team steered Cape Verde into the knockout phase of the last World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Background and immediate challenge
After that historic run Bubista accepted a club role in Morocco with RS Berkane, opening the door for Betenkor to step up to the top job for the national side. The federation confirmed the appointment on Thursday.
Betenkor's first priority is clear: prepare the squad for the September qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations. That series of matches will be the first competitive test under his leadership and a chance to build on the momentum from the World Cup.
The appointment reunites a coaching core that helped produce Cape Verde's recent success, while also marking a new chapter as the team eyes both continental qualification and continued development on the international stage.
Photo: press material from the event
