After holding Spain to a draw with Cape Verde at the World Cup, Vozinha, the 40-year-old Cape Verde international goalkeeper, is discovering the pressure of success at Colo Colo, where he had played only five of fourteen matches by early November.
Vozinha’s story changed dimension in a matter of hours, one evening in Atlanta. The 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper helped his country hold Spain to a 0-0 draw on their World Cup debut, before his national team reached the round of 32 and took Lionel Messi’s Argentina to extra time, AFP reports via BSS News. An epic run that turned the life of a long-itinerant keeper, who had passed through clubs in Portugal, Cyprus and Slovakia, upside down.
Since then, Josimar Jose Evora Dias has become a closely followed figure on social media: his Instagram account went from 50,000 to several million followers in a few hours, and now stands at 27.5 million. Adidas, Pepsi and Red Bull have signed him for advertising campaigns, and he finished sixth in the vote for the goalkeeper of the year award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London. But on the Chilean pitch, the spotlight is rarer.
Five matches out of fourteen at Colo Colo
Having arrived in July at Chilean club Colo Colo, presented at the Monumental stadium in front of thousands of supporters, Vozinha is struggling to establish himself. By early November, he had played only five of fourteen possible matches with the club, according to AFP via BSS News. Limited playing time for Cape Verde’s World Cup hero.
The contrast with his recent fame is stark. In an interview with AFP via BSS News, the goalkeeper said: “I came here with the intention of playing in the Libertadores, but my priority is this week, which could be very important for Colo Colo. My future will be decided afterwards. I’m not thinking about it.”
A CAF Awards nomination
Recognition from the continent has come on top of global fame. According to Dongqiudi, Vozinha has been named by CAF among the candidates for African goalkeeper of the year, alongside notably Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal), Édouard Mendy (Al-Ahli), Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns) and Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre). The ceremony is scheduled for 7 December in Lagos.
The nomination comes after the journey of an itinerant goalkeeper turned Cape Verde international, who passed through several European clubs before the World Cup.
Ñublense, then Lagos
On the pitch, Colo Colo’s news quickly takes over again. The club face Ñublense in the Chilean championship on 9 November (2:00 Paris time), a match in the race for the title and a Copa Libertadores place.