Josimar Dias, better known as Vozinha, was 40 years old, had no club backing him, and a career built through sheer perseverance in leagues in Angola, Moldova, Cyprus, and Slovakia. But on this June 15 he became the man who snatched victory away from Spain in the Group H opener at the World Cup.
Seven saves. Official FIFA MVP award. And a Cape Verde —half a million inhabitants, first time at a World Cup— that drew 0-0 against the reigning European champions. But when the referee blew the final whistle, ‘Vozinha’ did not celebrate: he cried. Not because of the result, but because his mother could not cross the Atlantic. Visa procedures and costs prevented it. “As a child I grew up with my grandparents, but they passed away a few years ago and could not see this day”, he said in a trembling voice.
He began his professional career at 25, an age when many are already finishing it. He arrived at the World Cup without a current contract —his spell with GD Chaves in Portugal’s Second Division had ended— and left with a trophy in his hands and his name making the rounds around the world. “This is a thank-you to everyone back home. It is a day of pride for the country”, was all he could add before emotion got the better of him.