"First, the organization of a World Cup, which is the biggest challenge in terms of country-wide organization. (The World Cup) today is a very complex event to organize, " he says.
However, Cape Verde may find its extraordinary fortune running low on Saturday, when it faces its next challenge: World Cup veterans and three-time African champion Ghana.
Super League, World Club Challenge, Challenge Cup, Four Nations - you'll be able to follow them all on either 5 live, 5 live sports extra or the BBC Sport website.
Rickard has now set her sights on being part of Wales' challenge at the 2010 World Cup in England.
The England squad is the first named by new manager Martin Johnson as he looks to build a side to challenge for the 2011 World Cup.
Before us is the challenge of winning a World Cup.
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England's World Cup campaign was thrown into disarray when a challenge involving Emile Heskey led to Ferdinand injuring his knee ligaments at the end of England's first training session in Rustenburg.
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"We still have a lot of work to do before the World Cup, the final on Saturday is a big challenge for us, " Nigeria coach Effiom Ntiero told BBC Sport on Tuesday.
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Nigeria's players, past and present, have admitted the team need to up their game significantly if they want to challenge at Africa's first World Cup finals, and they may see another European coach as the answer to their current crisis of confidence.
"They wanted to play as England in the World Cup and GB in the Champions Trophy and Champions Challenge but we said 'why don't you also perform in the world cups also as GB', " explained the FIH's marketing and communications manager Steven Morris.
Ireland were ranked second in the world in 2006 but have dropped to eighth and it will be a tough challenge to raise that mark before the 2011 World Cup seedings are finalised at the end of the year.
And while the 70-year-old has said that he would ideally like to end his long and chequered career by leading the "boys in green" to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he may yet decide that a more immediate challenge with the other men in green may be an opportunity worth grasping now.
Referee Howard Webb, who will be England's representative at the World Cup, was well placed to see the incident but only deemed the challenge worthy of a yellow card.
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However, Borthwick revealed he had spoken to Johnson and the 2003 World Cup-winning captain had reminded him of the importance of focusing on the challenge ahead.
Prior to the 1996 World Cup, Whatmore made sure his team's fitness levels were ready for the challenge ahead and the coach is planning exactly the same for 2003.
From Algeria to Uruguay, the challenge has been to fill the gaps to complete the album... the World Cup may have been lifted by Spain, but there's still time to share your pictures.
After the challenge 2010 hosts South Africa has faced getting facilities ready for the continent's first World Cup, and with 2014 hosts Brazil having already been criticised for falling behind schedule, England will hope they catch the eye of Fifa by representing a safe pair of hands.
The Serbian women's team reached the World Group playoffs of the Fed Cup in 2007, but with Jankovic and Ivanovic in the ranks have the potential to challenge for top honors in years to come.
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