Cape Verde Goalkeeper Vozinha Is The Player Of The Moment And FIFA’s Newly Minted Star
When World Cup favourites Spain stepped onto the field for their match against Cape Verde, many assumed they already knew how the game would go. What few expected was the standout performance of veteran goalkeeper Vozinha.
Image Credit: FIFA
The Cape Verde captain delivered a stunning display, helping his side secure a surprising 0-0 draw and earning Player of the Match honours in the process.
Speaking after the game, an emotional Vozinha said:
“I cried because I grew up with my grandparents,” Vozinha said after being named player of the match. “Unfortunately they were not here. They died a few years ago. They were everything to me, everything in my life.
“And also because of my mum. She couldn’t be here because of the visa. Because of the money you have to pay for the visa, we didn’t manage it in time. I would have loved for her to be here.
“Our best weapon is our unity. Regardless of the player who arrives today, or the player who is 10 or 15 years old, the way we treat each other like family is our greatest strength.
“Everyone thought we came here just to enjoy the World Cup, but no. We know there are teams we must always respect, because this is our first time, but we are here to compete, and we are here to fight for our country.”
A Record-Breaking Night
Image Credit: Reuters
At 40 years and 12 days old, Vozinha became the oldest player to appear in a nation’s debut World Cup match, surpassing the record set days earlier by Curaçao’s Eloy Room. The only player older to feature in his country’s first World Cup appearance remains Egypt’s Essam El Hadary.
Vozinha also produced seven crucial saves against Spain. The only goalkeeper over 40 to record more saves in a World Cup match was Pat Jennings, who made 10 saves for Northern Ireland against Brazil on his 41st birthday in 1986.
A Viral Rise
Off the pitch, Vozinha’s popularity has exploded. On social media, the goalkeeper has gone from roughly 50,000 Instagram followers to more than 5 million in the wake of his heroic performance.
For many fans, Cape Verde’s debut World Cup campaign already has a defining image: Vozinha standing tall in goal, refusing to let the moment pass him by.
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