Vozinha, the 40-Year-Old Goalkeeper Who Stopped Spain in Cape Verde’s World Cup Debut

At 40 years old, Vozinha became a national hero by holding the historic draw for Cape Verde against Spain in their World Cup debut.

A dream start to the World Cup

In a match filled with tension, his saves were crucial for Cape Verde, a complete debutant in World Cups, to achieve a result that few had imagined against one of the top title contenders. At that age, many colleagues have already retired, but Vozinha demonstrated that experience can also be a lethal weapon in goal.

His career

His career began at Batuque FC and then at CS Mindelense, two historic institutions of local football. From there, he embarked on an international journey that took him thru Angola, Moldova, Portugal, Cyprus, and Slovakia. He defended jerseys such as those of Progresso do Sambizanga, Zimbru Chișinău, Gil Vicente FC, AEL Limassol, AS Trenčín, and GD Chaves, the latter in the Portuguese second division, where he played the 25/26 season. There, he accumulated 19 starts, with 23 goals conceded and six clean sheets, before becoming a free agent.

His presence in Cape Verde

With the Cape Verde national team, he made his debut in 2012 and has since become a key player for the national squad. He participated in several editions of the Africa Cup of Nations and was part of the process that led the country to its first World Cup qualification. Today, after his performance against Spain, his figure transcends the sporting realm and becomes an icon of his national team and country.

In a tournament where surprises often set the course, Cape Verde found in their veteran goalkeeper a symbol of pride and hope. And Spain, a title contender, ran into an unexpected wall.