"Just as in Cuba, the manager has years of experience and the team is built around a strong defence," he said.
He also sought to draw a parallel between the England team and the Cuban people, saying they are both racially diverse and had an emphasis on youth.
Baseball is by far Cuba's most popular sport and while its boxers and athletes have won world renown, it is not known as a soccer power.
It did qualify for one World Cup, in France in 1938, but went out after an 8-0 drubbing by Sweden in the second round. It failed to qualify for this year's finals, which start in two weeks' time.
Cole conceded that Cubans might be tempted to support Argentina - homeland of revolutionary hero Che Guevara - Brazil or Spain, the former colonial power. But he doubted many would cheer for its avowed enemy the United States.
But, he said, British expatriates had introduced the game to the island in the early 1900s. The first two Cuban teams were SC Hatuey and Rovers AC, who played each other in their first official game in December 1911.
"Rovers won 1-0 with a very British-sounding Jack Orrs scoring the winning goal."
The previous year, Hatuey had played a team of sailors from a visiting British warship.
"The sailors lost rather badly ... so I suspect they had already had a chance to sample some good Cuban rum," he said.
However, the ambassador's stiff upper lip wobbled rather with his final reason.
"England really needs all the help we can get," he wrote. "We're really not that good."
(Reporting by Angus MacSwan, editing by Stephen Wood)
Share
