Vozinha's mother secures visa to watch Cape Verde goalkeeper's World Cup debut against Uruguay

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha will have his full family watching from the stands when his side faces Uruguay on Sunday, after his mother secured a visa to travel to the United States following initial difficulties — completing a family reunion that adds a personal dimension to the nation’s historic first World Cup campaign.

The 40-year-old shot-stopper, whose full name is Josimar José Évora Dias, was named player of the match in Cape Verde’s goalless draw against Spain on Monday, a performance that earned him widespread international attention and a significant surge in social media following. His father, Jose Pedro Dias, and brother, Delmiro Évora Nascimento — himself a professional footballer — were already present at Cape Verde’s training base in Tampa ahead of the arrival of his mother.

“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,” Vozinha said before Thursday’s training session in Tampa.

Vozinha’s father revealed the story behind his son’s unusual name, tracing it to Brazil’s 1986 World Cup squad. “I watched the matches and fell in love with the Brazilian national team,” Dias said. “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.”

Dias was visibly emotional reflecting on Cape Verde’s achievement in reaching the tournament — the nation’s first-ever World Cup appearance. “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 said.

Vozinha’s brother echoed those sentiments. “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.”

Outside the training ground in Tampa, the atmosphere among the Cape Verdean diaspora was celebratory. Fans arrived in RVs, dressed in the blue of the national flag and carrying capes fashioned from it. Among them was Benjamin Ferrera, born in Cape Verde but now living in Massachusetts — a state that hosts the largest Cape Verdean diaspora community in the United States and is sometimes referred to as Cape Verde’s 11th island.

“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,” Ferrera said of the draw with Spain.