From needing $15,000 to playing in the World Cup! Vozinha broke a follower record: He had built a wall against Spain
The World Cup favorite, reigning European champion Spain, played to a scoreless draw with Cape Verde, a result that has already made its mark on the tournament.
Vozinha, who didn’t let in a single goal on the seven shots he faced, was named Man of the Match. The 40-year-old goalkeeper’s life story also made a huge splash. His real name is Josimar Jose Evora Dias. His father was in the military, his mother worked, and he had to grow up with his grandmother. He suffered a major blow in January when he lost both his grandmother and grandfather in quick succession. Because of his frail build, Josimar was often bullied on the streets, and since he would run crying to his grandmother for comfort, he was given the nickname Vozinha (Little Grandma).
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LIVE BROADCAST FOLLOW REQUEST
Confident in his goalkeeping skills, Vozinha was rejected at every tryout he attended because he was too short. As he shot up during adolescence, Vozinha had transformed into a goalkeeper by the time he reached 1.89. The experienced goalkeeper, who continues his career with the Portuguese Second Division team Chaves, was unable to bring his mother to the game because he couldn’t afford the $15,000 deposit required for visa processing. Following his outstanding performance, the successful goalkeeper saw his Instagram following surge from 50,000 to 7 million. During the match, the Brazilian YouTube channel CazéTV—which was streaming the game live—asked viewers to follow Vozinha on social media.
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HE WAS THE BEST
Goalkeeper Vozinha from Cape Verde won the Man of the Match award presented by FIFA. According to a ranking published by the statistics website Sofascore, this was the best World Cup performance by a goalkeeper over the age of 40, with a score of 9.7.
HIS FATHER NAMED HIM
His father was so impressed by Josimar, Brazil’s right back in the 1986 World Cup, that he named his son after him. He had actually wanted to name him “Valdano” at first, inspired by the Argentine and Real Madrid icon Jorge Valdano, but Cape Verdean authorities did not approve it. So his name became Josimar. Vozinha’s father said, “It’s a source of pride to see my son at the World Cup. He was born during the 1986 World Cup and is now 40 years old. I’m incredibly proud.”
