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Report by Tribun-Papua.com journalist, Calvin Louis Erari

NABIRE – The goalless draw (0-0) between European powerhouse Spain and Cape Verde in their opening Group E match of the 2026 World Cup left many fans around the world disappointed. However, Hanum Biswoyo, a barista from Komoke Café in Nabire, Central Papua, remains optimistic and boldly predicts that his beloved team, La Roja, will still advance smoothly to the final.

The match, held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States, on Monday night (15 June 2026), ended in frustration for supporters who had anticipated a dominant Spanish victory over Cape Verde.

“Spain can still collect maximum points in the remaining group stage matches,” Hanum told Tribun-Papua.com on Tuesday (16 June 2026).

Although Spain failed to find the back of the net against Cape Verde, Hanum believes their tactics and overall performance were solid and largely dominant throughout the game.

He noted, however, that the Spanish coach’s tactical decisions seemed overly cautious, especially in making player rotations or substitutions when the team struggled to break through.

“From the way they played, Spain actually showed their best effort. But the coach appeared to hold back too much on making changes. Still, that’s entirely his prerogative,” he said.

As a loyal supporter, Hanum emphasized that the Spanish coaching staff must conduct a thorough evaluation to ensure the national team performs more sharply in upcoming matches.

He added that, given Spain’s long footballing history and championship mentality on the World Cup stage, the team should have been able to secure three points with relative ease.

“Spain should have won because this is not their first time performing on such a big stage like the World Cup. But who knows, maybe the players were feeling the pressure or nerves in this opening match,” Hanum remarked.

While slightly disappointed with the draw, Hanum understands that opening matches are often challenging for any team.

The barista from Nabire remains confident that Spain will soon recover from this underwhelming result.

“It’s fine, I’ll go along with the process since it’s only their first appearance. But I’m still optimistic that Spain will progress beyond the group stage and reach the final,” he concluded.