Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who was awarded player of the match for his seven crucial saves in Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw against Spain, was visibly emotional at the final whistle. His mother, unable to witness this historic moment, could not attend due to financial constraints related to visa requirements for the United States.
The goalkeeper expressed that this match was the culmination of a lifelong dream, wishing he could have shared the experience with his late grandparents and his mother. He has been Cape Verde’s starting goalkeeper for 13 years.
In January, the US government mandated that citizens from Cape Verde post a returnable bond of up to $15,000 (£11,200) in addition to the visa application fee, which ultimately hindered Vozinha’s mother from completing the process. “I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and unfortunately they were not here; they died a few years ago,” he shared. “They were everything for me, for my life. I also cried because my mum didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money we had to pay for the visa, we didn’t manage to [get it done] on time. I would like her to be here, but I’m also very happy. “I have worked my whole life for this moment. I’m 40 years old. I started playing football professionally when I was 25, in 2012. I thought about leaving but I continued because of this dream. This is for everyone. I was named man of the match but this is for all of my teammates because without them nothing would be possible. I will continue to work for Cape Verde and for the people. Spain, unsurprisingly, had the majority of possession but struggled to break down a well organised Cape Verde defence. Ferran Torres hit the bar in the European champions’ best chance. Everything else that was on target Vozinha stopped. “Our best weapon is our unity. The way we treat our family is our best strength. Everyone thought we came here just to enjoy the World Cup, but we know we have a team that deserves respect. It’s our first time, but we are here to compete and to fight for our country. We will play all the games with our strategy and our coach’s tactics. We will try to do better than today’s game. I hope we can win some games and, who knows, maybe go through to the next round. I am very happy and proud of all our players.”
Reflecting on his journey, he stated, “Vozinha is overwhelmed by the emotion. He has made a huge effort to be here, and those were tears of resilience. I don’t like to talk about individuals, but he played so well. The team was calm and that helped to keep him calm. “This means everything for the country. We’ve always said that we want the whole world to see how our team plays. We showed courage, playing in a way that is a metaphor for our country: with resilience and overcoming obstacles.”
Despite dominating possession, Spain struggled to penetrate a disciplined Cape Verde defense, with Ferran Torres hitting the crossbar being their best opportunity. Everything else on target was expertly saved by Vozinha.
“Our best weapon is our unity. The way we treat our family is our best strength,” Vozinha remarked. “Everyone thought we came here just to enjoy the World Cup, but we know we have a team that deserves respect. It’s our first time, but we are here to compete and to fight for our country. We will play all the games with our strategy and our coach’s tactics. We will try to do better than today’s game. I hope we can win some games and, who knows, maybe go through to the next round. I am very happy and proud of all our players.”
Bubista, the head coach of Cape Verde, commented on the goalkeeper’s emotional state, saying, “Vozinha is overwhelmed by the emotion. He has made a huge effort to be here, and those were tears of resilience. I don’t like to talk about individuals, but he played so well. The team was calm and that helped to keep him calm.”
He further added, “This means everything for the country. We’ve always said that we want the whole world to see how our team plays. We showed courage, playing in a way that is a metaphor for our country: with resilience and overcoming obstacles.”
