Pico Lopes looking forward to Cameroon test

Roberto 'Pico' Lopes

Roberto 'Pico' Lopes Credit: Michael P Ryan (ETPhotos)

Macdara Ferris reports from Tallaght Stadium

With a dramatic 90 minutes for Shamrock Rovers under his belt on the opening night of the League of Ireland season, Roberto Lopes travels this week to be part of the Cape Verde squad looking to secure a place at the 2021 African Cup of Nations from their final two qualifiers. 

The finals are due to take place in Cameroon in January next year (having been postponed due to COVID-19). 

The ‘Blue Sharks’ last two qualifiers are at home to Cameroon (on Friday 26 March) and away in Mozambique (Tuesday 30 March). Lopes said he was “delighted” to get the international call up when he spoke to extratime.com after Rovers' 1-1 draw with St. Patrick’s Athletic last Friday night. 

“They are two really good games to look forward to,” said Lopes.

Cape Verde are in a four team qualification group with 2017 Africa Cup of Nations champions Cameroon, along with Mozambique and Rwanda. They are unbeaten in the qualifiers, having drawn all four games including a scoreless draw away to Cameroon. 

The Indomitable Lions have already won the group and there is one qualification position left. Mozambique are level with Cape Verde on four points with Rwanda on two points. 

“The first match is at home to Cameroon which will be a really good test,” said the 2020 Shamrock Rovers Player of the Year. “Then we will have a chance to qualify against Mozambique. That is the one that it will all pivot on.”

Mozambique play Rwanda away next Wednesday before the final qualifier at home to Lopes’ team. Rwanda’s final game is away to Cameroon.

Lopes made his debut for Cape Verde in October last year in a 2-1 friendly win over Togo in a match played out in Marseille where they were based for a training camp. Lopes also got the chance to play that week against an Olympique Marseille side that included Dimitri Payet in a match that ended 1-1.



The following month he was part of the squad for the home and away qualifiers against Rwanda – both of which finished scoreless.

The Hoops defender won’t miss a domestic game due to this international call up as Rovers’ game on Saturday away to Derry City is set to be called off due to Candystripes ‘keeper Nathan Gartside’s call up for Northern Ireland’s World Cup qualifiers against Italy and Bulgaria.

On Friday night, it was a touch off Lopes’ head from an 87th minute centre from Robbie Benson that saw the Hoops fall behind for the first time in a league game since early August. That last time was away to Derry in a game which Rovers won thanks to a late Lopes winner.

The Hoops couldn’t manage the complete turnaround this time around but Aaron Greene was able to rescue a point for the Hoops with a fine header to keep Rovers’ unbeaten league run going to 23 matches. 

“In the second half, I thought we were really good and controlled most of the game. Their ‘keeper was really good and made some great saves. On another day we’d have got all three points but getting a point after the position we were in was great.



“When you go 1-0 down so late on, you have to show great character to believe that you can score and thankfully we did. When they got that goal, we were looking for a reaction and we showed character and hunger to come back. It was a great Aaron Greene header.” 

The Hoops had a number of chances in the game that fell the way of Graham Burke and Rovers league debutant Danny Mandroiu.

“I thought Danny was very good. He grew into the game and showed his class particularly in the second half when he dropped into pockets of space and also had a few shots. Looking forward to seeing more of what he can do this season.” 

    About Macdara Ferris

    Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl … View Full Profile