The odds were well and truly stacked against Cape Verde ahead of their first-ever World Cup game. Ranked 62nd in the world by FIFA, the Blue Sharks were set to faced off against one of the tournament favourites, Spain.
With some of the best players in the world in their starting XI, the reigning European champions were expected to make light work of their opponents, with many even predicting the three points could be in the bag by half time.
The first half began as everyone expected. Spain enjoyed pretty much uninterrupted possession, probing for openings from side to side while Cape Verde settled into a compact defensive shape. It looked like it was only going to be a matter of time before La Roja found the net, and the floodgates would open.
As time wore on, however, Spain failed to convert their territorial dominance into a tangible advantage, and the Cape Verde defence continued growing in confidence with every tackle. Marshalling the defence was veteran goalkeeper Josimar Jose Evora Dias aka Vozinha.
Though his club career has taken him to Angola, Moldova, Portugal, Cyprus and Slovakia, this was by far the biggest stage he had ever been on. Aged 40, he had finally realised his dream of playing in world football’s most prestigious tournament.
While that in itself is a remarkable achievement, Vozinha wasn’t on the pitch just to take part. Facing a relentless barrage of attacks, Vozinha made seven saves, six of which were from shots inside the box. By the end of the game, the veteran had effectively prevented 1.46 expected goals.
More importantly, against overwhelming odds, Cape Verde had recorded their first ever World Cup point by holding Spain to a goalless draw, accomplishing a feat even the most optimistic of fans could scarcely have predicted.
Realising the magnitude of his team’s performance Vozinha, who was also awarded the Player of the Match award, was visibly emotional at full time.
Speaking to a reporter post-game, Vozinha experienced yet another surprise. Coming into the game with about 50,000 Instagram followers, 1.9 million new fans had followed the veteran goalkeeper over the course of 90 minutes.
By the following day, even that surge had been dwarfed by what came next. As of writing, Vozinha has 11.3 million followers, and it would not be surprising to see him eclipse the 15 million mark by the time Cape Verde play their next fixture.
The little known goalie has now left the likes of NBA players Patrick Mahomes and current sensation Victor Wembanyama in the dust with his IG follower rise.
World Cup PR is on an entirely different level pic.twitter.com/joSeFK2pSi
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) June 16, 2026
Yeah man basketball clout actually can’t compare to football clout.
— E (@Ellis_) June 16, 2026
What do you mean some 40 year old Cape Verde goalkeeper gained the same amount of followers after a 0-0 as basketball’s current biggest star. pic.twitter.com/nvfKtJ0A0R
Things are not going to get much easier for Vozinha and company on the field, however, as they take on another high-ranked team in the form of Uruguay, for their next fixture. The South Americans drew their tournament opener against Saudi Arabia, leaving everyone in the group with a single point after the first round of games.
Another positive result would put Cape Verde in a strong position to challenge for a place in the knockout stages, and who’s to say we see another incredible performance from their hero between the goalposts.
