The president of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves, predicts his country will defeat defending champions Argentina in the last 32 of the Fifa World Cup as the upstarts continue to “write their destiny”.

“I think Cape Verde can beat Argentina 1-0,” he said in an exclusive interview with the BBC.

“We are playing to win… when expectations are low regarding a team, and if that team has the urge to win, it is possible. A small nation like Cape Verde should make an effort to always do that – to permanently surprise people,” he said.

His comments come ahead of Friday’s clash between the Blue Sharks and Argentina’s national side, known as La Albiceleste, in Miami at 22:00 GMT.

This the first ever World Cup for Cape Verde – a group of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean – who have now made history a second time by becoming the smallest nation to reach the knockout stage.

They achieved an incredible goalless draw in their opening game against Spain, where 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha was the hero, before a 2-2 draw with two-time World Cup winners Uruguay.

Then came their goalless draw with Saudi Arabia on Saturday, which saw them finish as Group H runners-up after Spain’s win over Uruguay.

They now face Lionel Messi’s Argentina, bringing with them a newfound reputation for shocking their opponents.

Sixty-three places separate the sides in the world rankings, with the South Americans rated the best side on the globe and Cape Verde only the 13th best in Africa, according to Fifa.