Cape Verde goalkeeping hero Josimar Dias, known as Vozinha, has opened up about the emotional rollercoaster behind his historic performance against Spain, revealing that a visa ordeal prevented his mother from witnessing his 2026 FIFA World Cup debut.
Vozinha walked away with the Man of the Match accolade following a masterclass performance against world number three Spain in their Group H opener at the Atlanta Stadium on Monday. His heroics ensured the CAF representatives secured a historic first-ever World Cup point on their tournament debut.
The 40-year-old shot-stopper, who plies his trade for Portuguese second-division outfit Chaves, was the hero of the day, producing a string of world-class saves to frustrate the tournament favourites.
After the final whistle, an emotional Vozinha could not contain his tears—a moment he later explained was fuelled by both grief and administrative heartbreak.
WHY CAPE VERDE HERO VOZINHA CRIED AFTER DRAW AGAINST SPAIN
“I cried because I grew up with my grandparents, and unfortunately, they are not here because they passed away a few years ago,” Vozinha told journalists in the mixed zone. “They did everything for me and my life.”
“But also because my mom didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. We couldn’t manage to get the visa sorted in time. I would have loved for her to be here, but I am happy for all the Cape Verdean people.”
VOZINHA REACTS TO MAN OF THE MATCH AWARD
Reflecting on making history for the Blue Sharks and picking up the individual accolade, the veteran keeper expressed immense pride in his nation’s grit.
“I’m very proud. For me, it’s an honour to represent my country with passion and love because we are a small nation,” he added. “Our qualification group was incredibly difficult with Cameroon and Libya. But we knew that if we worked hard and followed the coach’s [Bubista] game plan, we had a great chance.
“Today [Monday], the dream came true. We competed against Spain, one of the best national teams in the world. We are very happy and proud of all the players and the people of Cape Verde.”
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