Cape Verde was a massive underdog prior to their 2026 World Cup debut game against Spain, which ended in a shocking 0-0 draw. However, bookmakers didn’t have one factor considered: 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha turning into a brick wall, denying goals left and right. Where did he come from, though?
Josimar Dias, known as Vozinha, is a 40-year-old shot-stopper. He became the second-oldest debutant in World Cup history vs. Spain in Matchday 1, only behind Egypt’s goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, who debuted in the 2018 World Cup at 45 years old.
Vozinha made more than seven world-class saves against Spain, which sparked the rise of his name to a global interest. Now that he has cemented himself as Cape Verde’s best player, it’s time to dive deep into his figure.
Who is Vozinha?
Cape Verde’s goalkeeper was born on June 3, 1986 in the city of Mindelo, he is one of 11 players of Cape Verde that were actually born in Cape Verde, not in foreign countries. Vozinha turned pro until he was 25 years old, he is the definition of a late bloomer.
Vozinha #1 of Cabo Verde
How tall is Vozinha?
Typically, goalkeepers are very tall, and while Vozinha is tall, he is not massive. Vozinha stands at 6’2″. However, for Cape Verde, he might as well be a giant. He seems to be well-positioned every single time he receives a shot.
Where does Vozinha play?
Per the time of writing, Vozinha plays for GD Chaves, a club in the Liga Portugal 2 (second tier of Portuguese soccer). Per Flashscore’s Player Archive, Vozinha had an unbelievable 76.7 save percentage in the 2024/2025 season. He has 45 official clean sheets in his club career.
Vozinha’s performance against Spain in 2026 World Cup
Per SofaScore, Vozinha had a 9.7 rating, getting official FIFA Man of the Match honors. He made seven saves, had 1.46 goals prevented, which is a stat that measures a goalkeeper’s effectiveness in preventing goals, based on the ratio of goals conceded to the expected number of goals based on the quality of shots (xGOT).
Now, all the World Cup is on notice, to beat Cape Verde, you must go through Vozinha, and as Spain came to know, that is not an easy feat whatsoever.
