Sports
Cape Verde goalkeeper goes emotional
Cape Verde goalkeeper, Josimar José Évora Dias, known as Vozinha has spoken emotionally about the personal sacrifices behind his country’s historic FIFA World Cup debut, revealing that he broke down in tears after their stunning draw against Spain because some of the people closest to him could not witness the moment.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper emerged as one of the standout performers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after producing a series of crucial saves to help Cape Verde secure a remarkable 0-0 draw against Spain in the nation’s first-ever World Cup match.
Vozinha’s heroics captured the imagination of football fans around the world, particularly in Brazil, where commentators on broadcaster Caze TV urged viewers during halftime to help boost the veteran shot-stopper’s Instagram following to 100,000.
The response was overwhelming.
Within minutes, the goalkeeper’s follower count rose to 220,000 and continued to increase rapidly as the match progressed. By the 60th minute, the Chaves goalkeeper had attracted 350,000 followers. At the final whistle, the figure stood at 389,000 before surging by another 500,000 within five minutes.
By the time Vozinha returned to the dressing room, he had surpassed one million followers on the social media platform.
Despite the newfound fame, the Cape Verde international reflected on the emotional weight of the occasion.
“I cried after the game because I grew up with my grandparents when I was a kid, and they could not be there. They passed away a few years ago,” Vozinha said.
“My mum could not be here either for a visa issue, and the money we had to pay for it. We did not manage to do this in time.”
The experienced goalkeeper, who earned an 8.4 rating from WhoScored and made seven saves against the Spanish side, was embraced by teammates after the final whistle as Cape Verde celebrated a memorable result on the biggest stage in world football.
Vozinha, who has represented Cape Verde since 2012, earned his 89th international cap in the match against Spain.
Speaking to Caze TV after the game, the veteran goalkeeper was informed about the extraordinary growth of his social media following.
“I had almost 50,000 followers [before]. Wow…” he said in disbelief.
When told that his followers had reached around half a million, Vozinha appeared stunned. Moments later, he was shown a phone displaying more than one million followers.
“That’s crazy,” he said.
“Thank you so much. Brazilians have always been very affectionate towards us.
“We have felt this during our qualification campaign, we have felt this support and affection from Brazilians.”
Vozinha’s inspiring performance and heartfelt remarks have since resonated with football fans worldwide, turning the Cape Verde captain into one of the breakout stories of the tournament.