Cape Verde’s World Cup hero Josimar José Évora Dias, universally known as Vozinha, will be allowed to wear his famous nickname on his kit after securing special permission from the Chilean Football Federation.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper signed a six-month deal with Chilean giants Colo-Colo following a standout World Cup campaign. League regulations typically mandate that players use their legal names on match jerseys, explicitly banning nicknames or sobriquets. However, Colo-Colo successfully lobbied the governing body to grant an exception for the veteran, whose moniker translates to “little granny” in Portuguese.
Vozinha became one of the defining stories of the World Cup, starring in Cape Verde’s historic group stage draw against Spain to claim the country’s first-ever point at the tournament. His performances helped propel the nation into the knockout rounds, where they pushed eventual finalists Argentina into extra time before bowing out.
The campaign transformed the shot-stopper into a global sensation, seeing his social media following soar from 50 000 to nearly 30 million. Beyond earning a spot in FIFA’s Team of the Tournament, Vozinha’s exploits even inspired marine scientists to name a newly discovered species of sea slug in his honour.
–ChannelAfrica–
