Vozinha weeps after shutting out Spain as mother missed Cape Verde's historic World Cup debut

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha held Spain to a goalless draw on his country’s World Cup debut in Atlanta, earning the Blue Sharks their first-ever point at the tournament — then broke down in tears when asked why his mother was not in the stadium.

Vozinha, 40, was named man of the match after a heroic display against the European champions, but the celebrations were tinged with heartbreak. Cape Verde is among the countries whose citizens must post a returnable bond of up to $15,000 (£11,200) on top of a standard visa fee before travelling to the United States, and the goalkeeper’s family could not complete the process in time.

“I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and unfortunately they were not here; they died a few years ago,” an emotional Vozinha said after the match. “They were everything for me, for my life. I also cried because my mum didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money we had to pay for the visa, we didn’t manage to get it done on time. I would like her to be here, but I’m also very happy.”

The keeper has been Cape Verde’s first choice for 13 years, but his path to this moment was far from conventional. He only turned professional at 25 in 2012 and admitted he had considered walking away from the game before committing to the dream of reaching a World Cup.

“I have worked my whole life for this moment,” he said. “I’m 40 years old. I started playing football professionally when I was 25. I thought about leaving but I continued because of this dream. This is for everyone.”

Cape Verde, an archipelagic nation off the coast of West Africa with a population of around 500,000, only made their first major tournament appearance at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, where they reached the quarter-finals. Their draw with Spain represents the biggest result in the country’s footballing history.

Vozinha was keen to credit the collective rather than his own individual display. “I was named man of the match but this is for all of my teammates because without them nothing would be possible,” he said. “Our best weapon is our unity. Everyone thought we came here just to enjoy the World Cup, but we know we have a team that deserves respect.”

Cape Verde next face Uruguay before concluding their group stage campaign against Saudi Arabia. All four teams in the group are level on one point after the opening round of fixtures.