Vozinha to Make 90th Cabo Verde Appearance Against Spain
Vozinha, the 40-year-old Cabo Verde goalkeeper known to teammates as Josimar José Évora Dias, is set to play his 90th international match when the country makes its World Cup debut against Spain on 15 June 2026. He enters the tournament as one of the oldest players in the field, and Cabo Verde turns to him for its first match on the sport’s biggest stage.
Spain in Atlanta
The match is scheduled for 13h at the Stadium of Atlanta. For Cabo Verde, the date carries more weight than a standard opener: it is the national team’s first World Cup appearance, with Vozinha expected to start as one of the central figures in the lineup.
That cap total puts him second on Cabo Verde’s list of appearances mentioned here, behind Ryan Mendes, who has 96. The milestone lands in the same match that introduces Cabo Verde to the tournament, tying the team’s debut to one of its longest-serving players.
The name Vozinha
His nickname goes back to childhood, when he played in the street and asked his grandparents for help during conflicts with other children. He was raised by his grandparents, and the name has followed him through a career that has taken him to Progresso in Angola, Zimbru Chisinau in Moldova, AEL Limassol in Cyprus, AS Trencin in Slovakia and Gil Vicente in Portugal.
Vozinha is currently without a club after ending his contract with CD Chaves before the World Cup began. That makes the Atlanta match a notable point in his career arc: a 40-year-old goalkeeper, between clubs, starting in a World Cup debut and reaching 90 national-team appearances at the same time.
Josimar Higino Pereira link
His name also carries a football connection. Vozinha’s nickname honors Josimar Higino Pereira, the former Botafogo and Brazil player who was revealed by Botafogo, became a starter at the 1986 World Cup after Édson Boaro was injured, and scored against Northern Ireland and Poland in his first two games for Brazil.
Higino Pereira was part of Botafogo’s 1989 Rio de Janeiro state championship team, and that link gives Vozinha’s World Cup debut a name with real weight behind it. Cabo Verde now opens its first World Cup with one veteran goalkeeper, 90 appearances and a surname that traces back to one of Brazil’s well-known tournament figures.
