Names. What a concept! If you take a look at the Cape Verde squad sheet, you would find names like Lopes, Vozinha, Mendes, Tavares,Semedo and so on. Those look like Brazilian names right? They are actually Portuguese names. Let me tell you something. Cape Verde is a cluster of ten islands in the Atlantic, off the coast of Senegal. Nobody lived there until 1462, when Portuguese settlers arrived and founded the first permanent European settlement in the tropics. From that moment, the islands belonged to the Portuguese Empire, and they stayed that way for more than 500 years. And that is the connection most people miss. Cape Verde and Brazil are not similar by coincidence. They were both Portuguese colonies. Brazil was colonised by Portugal. Cape Verde was also colonised by Portugal. So when you Cape Verdean is called Lopes or Tavares or Semedo, you should understand that it is the exact same colonial fingerprint that gave Brazil its Silvas and its Santos and Brazilians are not more Santos than Cape Verdeans. Names carry history. You just have to know how to read them. My name is Ajoje. I am a FIFA Licensed Agent and International Sports Lawyer. I write on the Law and Business of Football, a lot. Repost and Follow if you want to read more posts like this.