Josimar José Évora Dias said his mother could not travel to the United States to watch Cabo Verde's World Cup debut because of visa problems and the cost of getting the visa. The 40-year-old goalkeeper, known as Vozinha, spoke after Cabo Verde's 0-0 draw with Spain and said the absence mattered as much as the result.
Fifa named him the best player in the match after he stopped shots from Lamine Yamal, Oyarzabal and Rodri, but the reward did not erase what he lost in the stands. Vozinha said he cried after the final whistle because he had grown up with his grandparents, who later died, and his mother could not be there for the moment that followed his biggest night.
The performance carried extra weight because Cabo Verde's match with Spain was the country's historic first game at a World Cup. For a player who became a professional only at 25 and later built a career through Cabo Verde, Angola, Moldávia, Eslováquia, Chipre and Portugal, the night also marked a rare collision between achievement and absence.
Vozinha's own account makes the barrier plain: his mother did not miss the trip by choice, and the problem was not only paperwork but also the money needed to complete the process in time. That is the part that turns a celebration into something harder to forget, because Cabo Verde's debut was complete on the field while one family seat stayed empty.
Vozinha now turns to Group H with Cabo Verde scheduled to face Uruguai on Sunday, June 21, at 19:00 Brasília time in Miami. The team finishes the group stage on June 26 against Arábia Saudita in Houston, and the unanswered question is whether the people closest to him will be able to share any of those next moments in person.
