Cape Verde hero Vozinha gets visa aid so mother can attend Uruguay game in Miami
Cape Verde, Africa’s third-smallest country, became one of the early darlings of the World Cup after holding European champion Spain to a scoreless draw in their opening match.
The hero of the game was Blue Sharks’ 40-year-old goalkeeper Josimar José Évora Dias, known as “Vozinha,” which means Granny in Portuguese. He was an overnight social media sensation after making seven saves in a game in which Spain had possession 74 percent of the time and had 27 shots to Cape Verde’s six.
His Instagram following swelled from 40,000 to 14.6 million in a matter of days.
Vozinha’s emotional celebration after the match made international headlines. He said his tears were for his late grandparents, who died a few years ago and played a big role in raising him, and because his mother, Ana Candida Evora, was unable to travel to the game in Atlanta because of the cost of obtaining a U.S. visa.
The U.S. State Department stepped in and got her a visa to enter the country. She flew to Miami on Thursday and plans to be at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday to watch her son play against Uruguay (6 p.m., FS1, Telemundo).
U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said visa fees had been waived and travel arrangements were made to help Evora get to Miami.
“No mother should miss the chance to see her child make history,” Jeffries posted on Twitter/X.
“Upon learning of this development, I spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and asked the State Department to do everything in its power to ensure that his mother can attend Cape Verde’s next match.
“It is a privilege to announce that Vozinha’s mom will be able to secure a visa in time to attend the game this Sunday against Uruguay. All fees have been waived consistent with official policy. Travel arrangements are now being made for mother and son to reunite in Miami.
“I thank Secretary Rubio, US State Department officials, the government of Cape Verde and Fifa for working together to make this possible.”
Cape Verde entered the tournament as a heavy underdog in a group that includes Spain, one of the World Cup favorites; two-time champion Uruguay; and Saudi Arabia.
“I feel very proud; for me it’s an honor to represent my country and we do this with passion and love because we are a small country with little conditions and our qualification was very difficult, too,” Vozinha said.
“We know if we work and follow the plan of the coach we have a great chance. This game was a dream come true. We competed against Spain, one of the best national teams in the world. We are very, very happy for all the players and for all the Cape Verdean people.”
Steven Moreira, a Cape Verdean defender who plays for the Columbus Crew, added: “I don’t realize in the moment what we did against Spain. It was a dream. When we woke up [Monday morning] there were good vibes, no pressure. We played free. We fought to the end, and our goalkeeper had a crazy game, too.
“He’s a big legend. I am very proud for what he did. We make jokes about him, even us, he is 40, and to see him in the world stage having a game like that…it shows that it doesn’t matter the age. He’s a baller.”
Sunday, Vozinha and his teammates will face a Uruguay team that also tied in its opening match, 1-1 against Saudi Arabia. The Saudis struck first and held the lead until the 80th minute, when Maxi Araujo scored the equalizer.
Uruguay will be desperate to win and earn three points, especially with a final group stage game against Spain looming in Guadalajara on June 26.
The Miami crowd of 62,000 for the Uruguay game against Saudi Arabia was nearly all Uruguayan, and it will likely be similar on Sunday. But, the Cape Verdeans have gained a legion of fans after their performance against Spain and should expect a warm welcome.