Vozinha’s Mom Missed Her Son’s Heroic Performance Against Spain in the World Cup.

Cape Verde made its World Cup debut with a draw against Spain, and Vozinha, at 40 years old, was named player of the match.

Cape Verde's incredible draw and the hero

The Cape Verde national team experienced a World Cup debut in Atlanta that will go down in the history of African soccer. In their first World Cup match, the "Blue Sharks" secured a draw against Spain, the reigning European champions. Goalkeeper Josimar Dias, known as Vozinha, was the central protagonist with seven saves that prevented goals and earned him recognition as Man of the Match.

The goalkeeper, who plays for GD Chaves in the Portuguese second division, achieved this feat at 40 years and 12 days old, becoming the oldest player to make his debut in his country's first World Cup match. In the tournament's history, only the Egyptian Essam El-Hadary has surpassed him, with his debut at the age of 45 in Russia 2018.

The words of Vozinha and the mother who couldn't go

After the match, Vozinha shared a personal side that accompanied his performance. “I cried after the game because I grew up with my grandparents when I was a child, and they couldn't be there. They passed away a few years ago. My mom couldn't come either because of a visa problem and the money that had to be paid. We couldn't resolve it in time," he explained to the media.

The goalkeeper stressed that, beyond the absence of his family members, the result had a collective value. "This is a message of thanks to everyone in Cape Verde. We are very happy; this group of players worked hard to experience this moment. It's a day to be proud and satisfied," he said

Man of the match

His journey to this stage was also part of the reflection. “I'm proud to be named man of the match. It's an honor for me to represent the country I love. We come from a small place, and the road to qualify was very difficult. Today, we fulfilled the dream of competing against a team like Spain. I work hard in life to have moments like this. I'm 40 years old, but I wasn't a professional until I was 25. This is a reward for that whole journey," he concluded.