Here comes Cape Verde! Vitaioli draws level with Selva on 73 caps, Costantini: "We can’t afford to relax"

Here comes Cape Verde! Vitaioli draws level with Selva on 73 caps, Costantini: "We can’t afford to relax"

Senior National Team - 27 March 2022

Here comes Cape Verde! Vitaioli draws level with Selva on 73 caps, Costantini: "We can’t afford to relax"

After his first game in charge – the best ever debut for a San Marino National Team Head Coach, despite the narrow defeat two days ago (San Marino-Lithuania 1-2, goal by Filippo Fabbri) – Fabrizio Costantini is ready to begin his tenure also away from home. And once again, it will be a first. Tomorrow’s match, scheduled for 17:00 on the pitch of the Pinatar Arena in Murcia, will see San Marino take on a non-European national team of comparable level, namely Cape Verde. This has never happened before, if we exclude games against Canada Olympic and those at the Mediterranean Games, which do not count towards official statistics.

Compared to the squad that impressed at the San Marino Stadium, there are only two changes made by the Head Coach. The returns of Fabio Ramòn Tomassini and Dante Rossi, back from injury and suspension respectively, see them replace Berretti and Franciosi. The Titani arrived in Murcia around midday, after a two-and-a-half-hour charter flight from Rimini. At 17:00 they had their first taste of the conditions they will likely find again tomorrow, with an official training session of considerable intensity which, probably, was also meant as a veiled message from the coach: "We absolutely must not approach this match too calmly; it will be important to give continuity to our performances after the decent display against Lithuania. This is a real match, against real opposition" – continued the Head Coach in his preview of the game. "Cape Verde’s ranking is very close to that of North Macedonia, and I think that says it all". Everyone’s contribution will be important and there will be an opportunity to see on the pitch those who did not find space two days ago. Starting from kick-off will be Matteo Vitaioli, who with tomorrow’s appearance will join Andy Selva at the top of the all-time list – level on 73 caps for the National Team: "For me it is a great source of pride and tomorrow’s match, in any case, will go down in history because of the exceptional nature of facing a non-European side. Being able to catch Andy Selva gives me personal satisfaction; we all know the role Andy plays in the history of our national team. Now that I belong to the category of experienced players, I want to pass on – as the coach has also asked us – the values and the importance of being part of this group to the younger ones. Tomorrow’s match will be, above all for them, an important stepping stone in terms of football maturity". San Marino-Cape Verde will be played at the Pinatar Arena in Murcia and will be broadcast live on TITANI.TV (click here), the new OTT platform of the San Marino Football Federation. The match will be available completely free of charge, after registering on the platform at no cost.

Luca Pelliccioni

The photos and graphic designs available on the FSGC information channels and social networks are freely usable, recognising the image rights to ©FSGC
Categories
Latest News