‘Have faith’: Vozinha’s mother speaks out as Cape Verde returns to World Cup pitch

Sunday is Father’s Day. Except perhaps for Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha.

The feel-good story of the World Cup will return to the pitch on Sunday when Cape Verde takes on Uruguay in the second group stage match for both teams. And Vozinha – whose name is Josimar José Évora Dias – will have his mother in the stands for that match; she was unable to attend Cape Verde’s stunning opening match against Spain because she could not obtain a visa.

But Ana Candida Evora is here now, which makes Cape Verde’s story even better.

“I would like to thank all the fans, everyone who helped in the process, for the support you have given to the team, especially to Cape Verde,” Evora said in a video message distributed by FIFA on Sunday. «We all strive for Cabo Verde to play well and shine on the field. The players must have confidence and everything will go well.»

«Keep your heads high, get on the pitch, go for a goal and you will perform beautifully, my boys. A kiss to you, be strong and brave. Blue Sharks!»

The team is commonly called ‘Tubarões Azuis’ in Portuguese, which translates to Blue Sharks.

Her visa problems – mainly raising the money needed for a visa – were resolved after the US State Department, FIFA, US lawmakers and the Cape Verdean Football Federation apparently combined their efforts and cleared the way for Evora to come to Miami. She arrived on Friday afternoon after more than 24 hours of travel from Cape Verde and was immediately surrounded by FIFA officials and volunteers as she made her way through the airport.

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FIFA even hosted her briefly this weekend at the organization’s tournament headquarters in Florida, officials said Sunday.

Vozinha had around 50,000 followers on Instagram when the World Cup started. He had 14.9 million followers on Sunday morning after capturing the world’s sporting attention by leading Cape Verde to a goalless draw against Spain – one of the pre-tournament favorites to win the title.

He went viral after that match against Spain with tearful comments, wishing his late grandparents could have seen him play in the World Cup and that his mother’s visa issues had been resolved in time for him to be there. That led to an immediate effort to find ways for Evora to come to the U.S. for the tournament.

And the tie, combined with the story of a 40-year-old goalkeeper and his mother, brought attention to the Cape Verdean football team like never before.

“It was intense,” said Cape Verde forward Garry Rodrigues. «But because we are professionals, the match (against) Spain is now a thing of the past. … We are still human. Seeing everything on the Internet was very intense. But we cannot use that as an excuse. We know our goals. We know our goals.»

Published on June 21, 2026