Cape Verde World Cup keeper Vozinha joins Colo Colo

SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — Chilean club Colo Colo says it is bringing in Vozinha, the 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper whose World Cup performances made him a standout for his nation.

“Vozinha is set to become a Colo Colo player; he will arrive in Chile in the coming days, undergo the necessary medical tests and will then be presented here at the Monumental Stadium,” club president Anibal Mosa told reporters before Friday evening’s league fixture.

At the World Cup he produced memorable stops in Cape Verde’s 0-0 group-stage stalemate with eventual winners Spain, then again in a 3-2 extra-time defeat to finalists Argentina in the knockout stage.

Josimar Jose Evora Dias, as he is formally known, is leaving Chaves in Portugal’s second tier for the Chilean move. He only inked his first professional deal at 26, and his career path has already taken him through Cyprus, Slovakia, Moldova and Angola.

“He’s in very good form; that’s why we’re signing him,” said Mosa.

His online profile has surged too, boosted by Brazilian influencer Casimiro, with Instagram followers climbing from 50,000 to almost 30 million.

Colo Colo, champions of Chile on 34 occasions, sit clear at the top of the standings with the season at its halfway mark.