After multiple delays and weeks of anticipation, veteran Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha — whose breakout performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup catapulted him to global fame — stepped onto the pitch for his first match with Chilean top-flight club Colo-Colo this Wednesday. The 40-year-old shot-stopper made his debut in a Copa Chile fixture against Unión Española, marking the end of a weeks-long wait for fans who had grown eager to see the World Cup star in action.
Vozinha, whose full legal name is Josimar Évora Dias, agreed to join the Chilean powerhouse when the club announced his signing on July 24. He was originally scheduled to arrive in South America well before his debut, but bureaucratic paperwork complications and unresolved personal matters pushed back his arrival three separate times. The repeated delays sparked mild anxiety among both Colo-Colo supporters and club leadership, who had prioritized adding the experienced goalkeeper to their roster ahead of the domestic campaign.
When Vozinha finally landed in Chile on August 2, he joined training sessions with the league-leading side just days later. Colo-Colo currently holds a dominant 13-point lead over its closest competitor, traditional rival Universidad de Chile, putting the club in a strong position to claim the domestic title this season. Even before his debut, the goalkeeper was named to the matchday squad for three separate fixtures, including the high-profile Superclásico derby against Universidad de Chile held this past Sunday at Santiago’s National Stadium. For that marquee match, however, Vozinha remained an unused substitute on the bench.
The Cape Verdean veteran now faces stiff competition to claim the permanent starting goalkeeper position at the club. Colo-Colo’s regular first-choice keeper, Fernando De Paul, is currently sidelined with an injury, but 19-year-old academy graduate Gabriel Maureira has stepped into the role impressively, solidifying his hold on the starting spot with a standout performance in the recent Superclásico that earned him widespread praise from fans and pundits alike.
Colo-Colo head coach Fernando Ortiz has made it clear from the start that the starting role will not be gifted to Vozinha based on his name recognition. Instead, the veteran will have to prove his quality and earn the position through consistent performance in training and match play. Speaking to reporters ahead of Vozinha’s arrival in Chile, Ortiz emphasized his commitment to selecting players based on merit, regardless of their profile. “It’s going to be a great competition between Vozinha, Gabriel, and the others who are here,” Ortiz said. “A big name won’t change my way of thinking; whoever deserves to play will play.”
Vozinha arrives in Chile following a successful stint with Chaves in Portugal’s second division, and off the back of a historic World Cup run that made him a household name in international soccer. He was a key foundational piece for Cape Verde in their first-ever World Cup appearance, where he delivered a series of spectacular saves against elite global powerhouses including Uruguay, eventual tournament champions Spain, and eventual runners-up Argentina — the side that eliminated Cape Verde in the round of 32.
His standout performances at the tournament translated to massive off-field fame as well: his social media following surged from just under 50,000 followers before the World Cup to more than 29 million followers in the months after the tournament, reflecting the global attention he earned from his breakout run.