Cape Verde’s Vozinha reunited with mother before Uruguay World Cup match
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha will be reunited with his mother in the United States after she secured a visa to watch Sunday’s World Cup group match against Uruguay.
Ana Candida Evora arrived at Miami International Airport on Friday following a successful intervention by the US State Department.
She travelled from Praia, the Cape Verdean capital, to support her son during the nation’s debut tournament appearance.
Her arrival follows an emotional appeal from the 40-year-old in the wake of a surprising goalless draw against Spain.
Emotional appeal yields results
The veteran stopper was named Player of the Match following a string of outstanding saves against the European giants.
He was moved to tears during his post-match interviews when discussing his family’s inability to attend the historic fixture.
Those comments prompted swift action, allowing his mother to navigate the visa process just in time for the crucial Group H clash in Tampa.
Evora was greeted by Fifa-accredited staff in Florida and expressed her excitement to the waiting media.
I want to wish him good luck and a good match.
Meteoric rise in global popularity
The Cape Verdean star stressed his desire for the squad to refocus on football as they target a place in the knockout stages.
A positive result against the South Americans on Sunday would propel the island nation closer to the round of 16.
Meanwhile, the goalkeeper’s heroics have catapulted him to unexpected global stardom off the pitch.
He amassed nearly 10 million Instagram followers within 24 hours of the Spain match, surpassing global sporting icons such as Patrick Mahomes and Victor Wembanyama.
This unprecedented social media surge was heavily driven by CazéTV, the Brazilian broadcaster holding rights to all 104 World Cup games.
Popular streamer Casimiro Miguel encouraged his audience of 31 million YouTube subscribers to follow the previously unheralded shot-stopper.
Crazy, that’s crazy.
The experienced goalkeeper admitted his shock at the newfound fame when reflecting on a whirlwind week of World Cup action.
