Udisha
Cape Verde or Cabo Verde is a small island country off the African west coast and the second smallest nation by population to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. The small country made their World Cup debut on Monday, June 16 against tournament favourites Spain and held them to a draw in an unbelievable match. However, their 40-year-old goalkeeper, Vozinha was the hero of the show, even winning the Player of the Match award.
The man who stopped Spain
Josimar José Évora Dias, nicknamed Vozinha, is Cape Verde's goalkeeper who made his World Cup debut at 40 years of age and etched his name in football history. With a clean sheet against Spain in their tournament opener, he made seven crucial saves that forced Spain to a draw.
A historic World Cup debut
On Monday, Vozinha also became the second-oldest player to make a debut at the men's World Cup, after Egypt's Essam El Hadary. To add to the honour, he is also the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet on his World Cup debut. Following his spectacular performance, he amassed millions of Instagram followers overnight.
The days of struggle
The road to the top was not easy for Vozinha who had even worked as electrician and bus driver to make ends meet before becoming a professional footballer. Now, he has represented his country at football's biggest stage. At the club level, he plays in Portugal's second-tier league for the club Chaves.
An emotional win
After unexpectedly stopping pain in their tracks, Vozinha broke down in tears because for smaller countries, even a draw against a footballing giant is bigger than a win. Later, he said, "I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and, unfortunately, they were not here; they died a few years before, and they did everything for me and my life. Also, my mum, she didn’t manage to be here because of the visa."