From a goalkeeper almost unknown to the general public before the start of the World Cup, Vozinha has become one of the most commented names of the World Cup in North America. With the Cape Verde team, he experienced a real football renaissance.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper, who throughout his career has never dressed the team of a leading European club and for whose transfer no amount was ever paid, turned out to be a central figure in one of the most emotional storylines of the tournament. In the group stage, Vozinha was impenetrable and played a key role in keeping his goal against giants such as Spain and Uruguay, as well as against the Saudi Arabian team. Thanks to his saves, the small island team sensationally qualified for the knockout phase.
The story continued in the 1/16-finals, where Cape Verde came close to creating the biggest surprise in the history of the world finals. Vozinha's team held off world champion Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, and sent the match into extra time before heroically being eliminated.
The strong performances at the World Cup did not go unnoticed. Back in the summer, Vozinha made his dream transfer and signed with the Chilean giants Colo-Colo, and last month came the biggest recognition - his name was among the ten nominees for the prestigious "Yashin" trophy, which is awarded to the best goalkeeper of the year. Its current holder is Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
In an interview with France Football, the veteran commented with a great deal of modesty and surprise on the news of his nomination.
"Many people will say that it is not fair to be on this list, and to a certain extent I think so too. When they told me, I thought someone was joking with me", Vozinha frankly admitted.
"I say this because I have enormous respect for all those great goalkeepers who compete every week in the strongest championships and defend the colors of the biggest clubs. For me, this nomination is above all an award for the entire country of Cape Verde. At this point in my career and in my life, I accept it as a gift from the universe. That is why I want to thank everyone who included me among the nominees," he concluded.