Bubista

Bubista
Bubista in 2026
Personal information
Full name Pedro Leitão Brito
Date of birth (1970-01-06) 6 January 1970
Place of birth Povoação Velha[1], Boa Vista, Cape Verde
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 RS Berkane (manager)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1996 Badajoz 2 (0)
1996–2002 ASA
2002–2003 Estoril
2003–2006 Falcões do Norte
International career
1989–2005 Cape Verde 21 (0)
Managerial career
2012–2013 Mindelense
2015 Académica Mindelo
2015–2016 Sporting Praia
2017 Académica Mindelo
2018–2019 Batuque
2020–2026 Cape Verde
2026– RS Berkane
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Pedro Leitão Brito (Portuguese: [ˈpe.dɾu lej.ˈtɐ̃w ˈbɾi.tu]; born 6 January 1970), commonly known as Bubista (Kabuverdianu: [bu.ˈbis.tɐ]), is a Cape Verdean professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back. He is the manager of Botola Pro club RS Berkane.

As the manager of the Cape Verde national team, he led Cape Verde to its first ever FIFA World Cup, in 2026, reaching the round of 32.

Club career

In December 1995, Bubista joined Spanish Segunda División club Badajoz.[3] Bubista eventually made his debut for the club on 4 May 1996, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 win against Getafe. Bubista would make one final appearance for Badajoz a week later, coming on as a 60th minute substitute, replacing Pablo Zegarra, against Osasuna.[4] In 1997, Bubista joined Angolan club ASA. Bubista played for ASA for six seasons, before returning to his native Cape Verde, joining Falcões do Norte in 2003.[5]

International career

Bubista made his debut for Cape Verde as a substitute in a 1–0 loss to Guinea in the semifinal of the 1989 Amílcar Cabral Cup.[5] Bubista later captained the country, making a total of 21 appearances[5] (sometimes listed as 28 appearances) for Cape Verde during his career.[6]

Managerial career

Following his playing career, Bubista managed domestic Cape Verdean clubs Mindelense, Académica do Mindelo, Sporting Praia and Batuque. In January 2020, he was named manager of Cape Verde.[6] He managed his nation to qualification for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after a 1–0 away victory over Mozambique on the final matchday.[7] He later guided the team to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations,[8] where they advanced to the quarterfinals.[9]

On 13 October 2025, he led Cape Verde to its first ever FIFA World Cup after a 3–0 home win against Eswatini. Doing so, Cape Verde became the second-smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup after Iceland did it in 2018.[10] He was subsequently named the CAF Coach of the Year for 2025, at the CAF Awards 2025.[11][12]

In Cape Verde's first game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Bubista's side held Spain to a scoreless draw, considered one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, with Spain having been ranked 65 spots above Cape Verde by FIFA.[13] Following a second upset, in a 2–2 draw with Uruguay and a second scoreless draw against Saudi Arabia, Bubista's Cape Verde qualified for the round of 32, where they were drawn against reigning champions Argentina. Despite taking Argentina to extra time, Cape Verde ultimately were eliminated in a 3–2 defeat, with Bubista speaking of his pride in his players and their representation of the nation.[14]

On 3 August 2026, Bubista became the head coach of Botola Pro club RS Berkane, signing a two-year contract.[15]

Career statistics

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[5]
National team Year Apps Goals
Cape Verde 1989 1 0
1990 0 0
1991 0 0
1992 0 0
1993 0 0
1994 0 0
1995 0 0
1996 0 0
1997 0 0
1998 1 0
1999 0 0
2000 3 0
2001 0 0
2002 3 0
2003 5 0
2004 5 0
2005 3 0
Total 21 0

Managerial statistics

As of 4 August 2026
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat. From To Record Ref.
G W D L Win %
Cape Verde Cape Verde 29 January 2020 3 August 2026 68311918045.59
RS Berkane Morocco 4 August 2026 Present 0000!—
Career Total 68311918045.59

Honours

Player

ASA (Atlético Sport Aviação)

Coach

CS Mindelense
Individual

References

  1. ↑ Inforpress — Mundial 2026: Boa Vista entra na onda e equipa-se a rigor para apoiar a selecção e Bubista na sua estreia na Copa
  2. ↑ Bubista at WorldFootball.net
  3. ↑ "Bubista: From Obscurity in Badajoz to National Hero in Cape Verde". Todo Alicante. 14 June 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Del Badajoz, al Mundial: quién es Bubista, el seleccionador de Cabo Verde con pasado en Extremadura" (in Spanish). AS. 15 June 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Bubista". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Bubista is the new leader of the Cape Verdean national football team". portugalinews. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  7. ↑ "Mozambique 0–1 Cape Verde Islands". ESPN. 31 March 2021.
  8. ↑ "Profile of Cape Verde Islands team for 2023 Africa Cup of Nations". Reuters. 8 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "Mendes penalty sends Cape Verde into quarter-finals". CAF Online. 29 January 2024.
  10. ↑ "Cape Verde become second-smallest nation to reach World Cup". BBC. 13 October 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  11. ↑ "Achraf Hakimi, Ghizlane Chebbak lead Morocco's Golden Night at CAF Awards 2025". Confederation of African Football. 19 November 2025. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  12. 1 2 "Biggest Upsets In World Cup History: Where Does Spain vs. Cape Verde Rank?". Fox Sports. 15 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Biggest Upsets In World Cup History: Where Does Spain vs. Cape Verde Rank?". Fox Sports. 15 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "Cape Verde 'sad' but 'proud' after World Cup exit to Argentina". ESPN. 4 July 2026.
  15. ↑ Malim, Karim (3 August 2026). "The godfather of Cape Verde's achievements sets foot in Morocco". Goal.com.
  16. ↑ "Pedro Leitao Brito's profile: Who is Bubista, Cape Verde's coach? Age, height, career highlights and more". Bolavip US. 3 July 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
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