Cape Verde 's 2-0 win over Portugal was the most eye-catching international result of the week . So , who are Cape Verde and why has this tiny island off the west coast of Africa suddenly become an international football force ? Where are the Cape Verde Islands ? Cape Verde is a group of islands 400 miles from Senegal off the west coast of Africa . Its population is around 500,000 and boasts both beautiful beaches and striking volcanic landscapes , making it a haven for tourism . Cape Verde is a picturesque island off the African coast with a population of just 500,000 people . Does it have any footballing tradition ? More than you think . Manchester United winger Nani is from Cape Verde and could have played for them instead of Portugal . Celtic and Sweden legend Henrik Larsson 's mum is from Cape Verde . Being a former Portuguese colony , most people support the big Lisbon clubs Benfica and Sporting , you see the club 's scarves and banners hanging from cafes and bars . Sporting Lisbon ace Nani ( centre ) is from Cape Verde but decided to represent Portugal at national team level . Former Barcelona star Henrik Larsson could have played for Cape Verde as his mother was born on the island . Why the sudden success ? Like a lot of African countries including Algeria and Ghana , Cape Verde decided to start recruiting players who grew up in Europe , mostly Portugal in their case , but were eligible for them through family ties . Around a quarter of the Cape Verde squad are European , although 14 of the 19 players used in Portugal were born on the island . They qualified for their first Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and reached the quarter-finals , and qualified again this year . They are the smallest nation ever to play in the continental finals . Cape Verde were eliminated at the quarter-final stage of their first ever Africa Cup of Nations in 2013. Who are the star players ? Every member of the squad plays club football outside Cape Verde , mostly in Europe and particularly Portugal . Striker Heldon plays for Sporting Lisbon and midfield set-piece specialist Babanco is with Estoril . Odair Fortes , who scored their second goal against the Portuguese , plays in French football for Reims . Other members of the squad ply their trade from Romania , Angola , Cyprus , Hungary , Holland , Bulgaria and Mexico . Sporting Lisbon striker Heldon , currently on loan at Cordoba , is one of Cape Verde 's key players . What can Cape Verde offer visitors ? Firstly , sunshine . The temperatures rarely dip below 21 degrees Celsius ( 70 F ) even in the December and January winger months . The name of the main beach Boa Vista ( beautiful view ) says it all . It is beginning to become a big tourist destination , just a six-hour flight from the UK . Visitors are encouraged to sample the excellent local fish and admire the spectacular dunes and volcanic mountains . Boa Vista beach , pictured , is one of the main attractions on the small island of Cape Verde . Are they a flash-in-the-pan ? The FIFA rankings would suggest not . Cape Verde currently stand 38th in the world , one place ahead of Scotland . Although they failed to make the knockout stages of this year 's Africa Cup of Nations , they did return home unbeaten after three draws against Tunisia , Congo and former winners Zambia . Cape Verde celebrate during their 2-0 friendly victory over Portugal on Tuesday evening . What is the special relationship with Portugal ? Portuguese explorers discovered the island in 1456 and it stayed a Portuguese colony until independence in 1975 . But famine and lack of economic opportunity around the same time meant many young Cape Verde men were forced to go to Portugal to build new lives there . Now the country 's football team is helping them re-establish their roots . The reason for Tuesday night 's friendly in the first place was to raise money for the victims of a volcanic eruption on the Cape Verdean island of Fogo . And the only saving grace for Portugal ... Cristiano Ronaldo was n't playing . Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was rested for Portgual 's clash against Cape Verde .
Cape Verde defeated Portugal 2-0 in an international friendly match . The Portuguese team was led by former Manchester United and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored the winning goal with a header from substitute Ricardo Quaresma.