Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has gone from playing in relative obscurity to living under a spotlight he never expected, and the pressure is now following him from Chile to international duty.
The veteran signed a short-term deal with Colo-Colo at the end of the World Cup, where anonymity is close to impossible for a player of his profile. Whether he stays beyond 2026 hinges on an automatic one-year extension, which is triggered only if he features in at least half of the club’s matches since his sign-on date. He is currently not on course to reach that mark.
The adjustment to fame has not been easy after a quiet 20-year career, but it has not dented his passion for representing his country. Vozinha reversed his decision to retire from international football to help Cape Verde return to the Africa Cup of Nations, having missed qualification for the previous edition.
That comeback hit a bump over the weekend. A personal error from the goalkeeper handed Mali their third goal in a 3-1 win over Cape Verde in the opening round of AFCON qualifying.
Head coach Humberto Bettencourt has kept faith in his number one, a Yashin Trophy nominee for Goalkeeper of the Year at the Ballon d’Or awards, and expects him to respond when Cape Verde face Rwanda on Tuesday.
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