Jan 9 (Reuters) - Factbox on African Nations Cup finalists Cape Verde Islands ahead of this year's tournament in South Africa from Jan. 19 to Feb. 10: <\/p>\n
Previous appearances in African Nations Cup finals: none <\/p>\n
FIFA world ranking Dec. 2012: 69th <\/p>\n
Coach: Lucio Antunes has won himself near-mythical status in his homeland for guiding the Cape Verdians to the Nations Cup. The 46-year-old worked his way up through the federation ranks as a coach of the national youth teams before being appointed in 2010 to take over the senior side. He previously won the national championship with Academica Sal. <\/p>\n
Key players: <\/p>\n
Heldon (Maritimo). Age: 24 Pos: Forward <\/p>\n
Scorer of vital goals in the qualifying competition which ensured the island archipelago's progress to the Nations Cup finals. He moved to Portugal in 2007 and worked his way up through the amateur ranks to sign for Maritimo in 2010. He played and scored for the Madeira-based club in the Europa League this season. <\/p>\n
Ryan Mendes (Lille). Age: 23 Pos: Forward <\/p>\n
Pacey player who likes to run at defenders and has made a successful transition to Ligue 1 with former champions Lille from Le Havre this season. He was regarded as one of the best players in Ligue 2 over the last three seasons after Le Havre spotted him as an 18-year-old participating in a youth tournament. <\/p>\n
Fernando Varela (FC Vaslui). Age: 25 Pos: Defender <\/p>\n
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FACTBOX-Soccer-African Nations Cup finalists Cape Verde Islands<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jan 9 (Reuters) - Factbox on African Nations Cup finalists Cape Verde Islands ahead of this year's tournament in South Africa from Jan. 19 to Feb. 10: Previous appearances in African Nations Cup finals: none FIFA world ranking Dec Continue reading