Stéphane Cueni is one who flies slightly below the general radar in the Super League. The 24-year-old is rather defensively aligned in the central midfield and so less frequently involved in the actions that cause a sensation. In addition, he has to fight for every minute of use in the current bottom of Winterthur. This season he was three times in the starting line -up. He was substituted three times, once he had to watch the replacement bank.
His relatively calm footballer life has become a bit more turbulent in the past few weeks. Again and again friends and teammates of the FCW came up to him and saw himself forced to dampen their joy. “Chill, Chill,” he replied when they asked him that he could be there at the World Cup in North America next year. Because he knows that he only has a tip in the door in this regard. Nevertheless, he also lets himself travel from the euphoria that currently prevails around the Cape Verdish national team.
Big hope in the small island state
Just a little more than 500,000 people live on the island network off the west coast of Africa. Only the Seychelles as well as São Tomé and Príncipe, also island states, have even fewer residents on the 54 -country African continent than Cape. The sensation, which has been around for a long time and took on an even firmer form a month ago, is correspondingly great. Cape Verde defeated the eight times the World Cup participant Cameroon 1-0 and now has four points ahead. The “tubular aging”, the blue sharks, is enough for a World Cup in the last two rounds in October to qualify for the first time on their own.
And Cueni will be cheering on October 8 at the away game against Libya and on October 13th in the home game against Eswatini. Because since his unexpected debut at the end of May, he has definitely been able to belong to the extended squad of the national team.
Kuala Lumpur Statt Las Vegas
The first contingent came as a surprise to Cueni, whose parents come from Cape Verde. He had already booked vacation in spring, wanted to challenge luck in Las Vegas with a former teammate after the end of the season. Then came the call that threw the plans over the heap. At the other end of the management was a representative of the Cape Verdish national team who said that the team would play two test games in Malaysia at the end of May – an official and one in the exclusion of the public. The midfielder was invited to prove himself.
The former Swiss Junior International, who was born and grew up in Lausanne, had discussed the change of nations a year earlier with the Cape Verde Association. However, it was time that it could take a while for the process to be completed. Therefore, Cueni focused on the tasks in the club and hardly wasted any thoughts of possible caps. But then suddenly it was time: On May 29, Cueni was substituted in the pretty Kuala Lumpur Stadium at the break, the game against Malaysia ended 1-1.
Waiting for the next chance
Cueni shrugs her shoulders on the question of how to proceed. “I gave everything in Malaysia, was happy with my performance.” But he is also aware that there is little reason to change in a team that has a run. That is why the same applies to him as for his friends: “Chill, chill.” He focuses on his performance in the club and hopes to get another chance at an international level.
You can tell Cueni: he is prudent, a realist. After his previous career has played majority in the Challenge League (Stade Lausanne-Ouchy and Wil), he does not chase away World Cup dreams. For him, priority is priority to establish itself in the highest Swiss league. In Winterthur, where he has been playing since January, he is particularly valued next to the square. Due to his multilingualism, it forms an important link in the team, which has now largely consisted of French -speaking players.
The Winterthurers listed by coach Uli Forte are still waiting for the first championship victory. In addition, the next chance is available on Sunday in the home game against Lugano. And Cueni wants to contribute to it before he devotes himself to the possibly historic blue sharks.