Cape Verde goalkeeper, Vozinha, has secured a move to Chilean giants Colo Colo after emerging as one of the standout performers at the FIFA World Cup.
The 40-year-old shot to global prominence during the tournament with a series of outstanding saves against football powerhouses, including eventual champions Spain and defending champions Argentina.
Announcing the signing on Friday, Colo Colo welcomed the veteran shot-stopper with a brief message on social media.
“Welcome. We’re waiting for you,” the club wrote Friday on its social media pages in a post that quickly sparked excitement not only among Colo Colo supporters but across Chile, where the national team failed this year to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.
Blanco y Negro president Aníbal Mosa, whose company oversees the Chilean club, also confirmed that Vozinha, who was unattached throughout the World Cup, is expected to arrive in Chile in the coming days.
“Vozinha is going to be a Colo Colo player. In the next few days, he will travel to Chile, undergo the necessary medical examinations, and then be presented here at the Estadio Monumental,” Mosa told media, referring to Colo Colo’s home stadium in Santiago, Chile’s capital.
According to local reports, the experienced goalkeeper has signed an 18-month contract.
Born Josimar Dias but widely known as Vozinha, the goalkeeper inspired Cape Verde to an impressive World Cup campaign.
The island nation advanced to the round of 32 before suffering a 3-2 extra-time defeat to Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
His impressive performances on the global stage also translated into a huge rise in popularity, with his social media following soaring from fewer than 50,000 before the tournament to nearly 29 million.
