Goalkeeper Vozinha – who starred during Cape Verde’s World Cup debut – finally made his first appearance for Chilean powerhouses Colo-Colo on Wednesday in a Copa Chile soccer match against Union Espanola. Paperwork issues and personal matters had delayed his arrival three times, raising concerns among fans and team officials. The 40-year-old veteran, whose real name is Josimar Evora Dias, arrived in South America on Aug. 2 after Colo-Colo announced his signing on July 24.
He faces stiff competition for the starting role. With regular goalkeeper Fernando De Paul out injured, 19-year-old academy product Gabriel Maureira has firmly established himself as the team’s starter, earning praise for his standout performance in the “Superclasico. Vozinha arrived in Chile after wrapping up his stint with Chaves in Portugal’s second division and delivering a standout performance at the World Cup – a tournament where he became a key figure thanks to saves that held their own against powerhouses like Uruguay, eventual champions Spain, and Messi’s Argentina, the team that eliminated Cape Verde in the round of 32. His performance brought him meteoric fame both on and off the pitch: the Cape Verdean saw his social media following skyrocket from just under 50,000 before the World Cup to over 29 million.
Since his arrival, the Cape Verdean goalkeeper has been part of the squad for three matches — including last Sunday’s “Superclasico” against Universidad de Chile at the National Stadium – though he remained on the bench for that fixture.
