Mother Of Cape Verde Goalkeeper Vozinha Gets Visa To Watch Son At World Cup

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha will have his family close by when his team takes on Uruguay on Sunday, just days after his standout performance against Spain made him one of the most discussed players of the World Cup. The 40-year-old was named player of the match in Cape Verde’s goalless draw on Monday, a display that garnered international attention and a surge in popularity on social media. Among those cheering him on in the U.S. are his father, Jose Pedro Dias, and brother, Delmiro Évora Nascimento, who is also a soccer player. Vozinha’s mother, who initially faced challenges obtaining a visa, is also expected to arrive in the United States ahead of Sunday’s match.

Speaking before Thursday’s training session at Cape Verde’s training base in Tampa, Vozinha expressed that having his family nearby is one of the most significant aspects of his World Cup experience. "They always support me in everything I do, so having my mother here is something special. My father is here too, and my brother as well, so I’m very happy," he said. Vozinha’s full name is Josimar José Évora Dias, named after Josimar, a defender in Brazil’s 1986 World Cup squad. "I watched the matches and fell in love with the Brazilian national team," Dias said. "I really enjoyed it, and there were a few players who stood out; one of them was Josimar, a right-back, who scored two goals and really made his mark at that World Cup."

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Like other fans at the training base in Tampa, Dias was beaming with pride over Cape Verde’s successful start to its first-ever World Cup. "As a father, I feel immense pride. All Cape Verdeans right now feel proud to be Cape Verdean and of Cape Verde’s current performance; it’s something we could never have imagined would be possible," he stated. Vozinha’s brother echoed this sentiment, saying, "I’ve no words to describe this moment. We just have to live it because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment for a professional footballer – to be at the World Cup, to play against Spain, to put in the performance he did."

Vozinha’s impressive performance against Spain earned him the player of the match title. RVs filled with Cape Verde fans, dressed in the blue of the nation’s flag, arrived at the training ground in Tampa. One fan, Benjamin Ferrera, described the draw with Spain as "unbelievable." "I don’t have words for it, because nobody expected it. We are just 500,000 people on small islands. To be on this type of stage with the world watching us is just magnificent," he said. Ferrera, who was born in Cape Verde and now lives in Massachusetts, is part of the largest Cape Verdean diaspora in the United States, often referred to as Cape Verde’s 11th island.

"We’re all about joy," Ferrera added. "When I grew up, I always heard that Cape Verde doesn’t have football, that we would never make a World Cup. Today I’m proud to say we’re here and we are going to make history." The archipelago nation off the west coast of Africa was the only one of the four debutants at the tournament to avoid defeat in its first match. According to Andreia Levy, an organizer for the Cape Verde supporters’ group, 12 Sharks, this success was destined. "Of course, I trusted the guys," she said. "We knew that it was possible to do something here." Reporting by The Associated Press.

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