All posts tagged: Vozinha

Cape Verde hero Vozinha’s mother could not afford visa fees for World Cup | Football News

Cape Verde hero Vozinha’s mother could not afford visa fees for World Cup | Football News

The evening did not end for Vozinha, the Cape Verdean hero against Spain. The flag draped around his body, the goalkeeper sprinted in joyous aimlessness around the Atlanta Stadium. When finally, the broadcasters managed to drag him for a chat, his eyes were welling with tears, blending with the sweat dripping over his forehead. He was happy that his seven saves, each rolling into history books, etched his country’s greatest night in football. But he was unhappy that his mother was not with him. The tickets were booked, the bags were packed, but she was denied the visa. “She didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money you have to pay for the visa, we didn’t manage on time. I would like her to be here,” he sighed, clutching the player of the match memento as though it were a slice of his soul. Emotion took over. “I cried after the game because I grew up with my grandparents when I was a kid, and they could not be there. …

Cape Verde keeper Vozinha sparks social media frenzy after heroic Spain draw, hits 1M+ followers in just 90 minutes

Cape Verde keeper Vozinha sparks social media frenzy after heroic Spain draw, hits 1M+ followers in just 90 minutes

When Spain faced 67th-ranked Cabo Verde in the FIFA rankings on Monday, the matchup was widely expected to be one-sided, with La Roja anticipated to secure a comfortable victory in their Group H opener of FIFA World Cup. Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha stood out as the brightest performer in the Group H opener against Spain. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters) However, expectations quickly began to fade as the match stayed goalless at halftime, and Spain were ultimately unable to break the deadlock, with the game finishing 0-0 after 90 minutes. Despite Spain controlling over 60% possession and registering more than 20 shots, Cabo Verde held firm throughout the match, refusing to concede, and much of that resilience came down to their towering presence between the posts. Vozinha’s fandom explodes after Spain clash Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha stood out as the brightest performer in the Group H opener, producing seven crucial saves to keep Cabo Verde level throughout the match. His heroics helped the African side, making their World Cup debut, secure a remarkable result against the …

Vozinha, who made 7 saves against Spain

Vozinha, who made 7 saves against Spain

3 min readJun 15, 2026 11:55 PM IST The starting line-up on Cape Verde’s debut at the FIFA World Cup reads normal until the goalkeeper’s name comes up. It says ‘Vozinha’. It is the nickname of the 40-year-old custodian Josimar Jose Evora Dia, which he has used throughout his career. In Portuguese, it means ‘little voice’ (voz meaning voice and inha meaning little). The nickname proved to be apt on the biggest night for Cape Verde in football as the 40-year-old veteran as he shouted and screamed for the 90 minutes and made seven big saves to put 2010 World Champions and one of the tournament favourites Spain at bay. Vozinha, who was born in Cape Verde, got the nickname because of his grandparents. “The nickname is because of my grandparents. I grew up with them as my father was in the military and my mother was working,” Vozinha told FIFA in an interview. While the nickname shouldn’t have traveled beyond his island, when he arrived in Angola to play for Progresso, he decided to …