Cape Verdean Goalkeeper Vozinha Signs with Colo-Colo

Veteran goalkeeper Vozinha officially signed a contract with the Chilean club Colo-Colo on Monday, August 3. The 40 year old player, who gained international recognition during the World Cup with the Cape Verde national team, agreed to a six month term with a possible one year extension. The signing follows a period of speculation and delays, during which the athlete reportedly had conversations with RS Berkane of Morocco.

Vozinha's rise to fame occurred during the World Cup in North America, where his performances helped Cape Verde draw with Spain and Uruguay before a narrow loss to Argentina in the round of 32. His social media presence grew significantly following the tournament, with reports on his Instagram following ranging from 17.4 million to nearly 30 million followers.

The Chilean club received special authorization to allow the player to use his nickname, Vozinha, on his jersey, despite national rules generally prohibiting the practice. Other Chilean clubs agreed to the request. The nickname originated in his childhood when he would cry after losing street football matches and return to the home of his grandparents.

Prior to joining Colo-Colo, the goalkeeper played for Chaves in the Portuguese second division and had stints in Angola, Cyprus, Moldova, and Slovakia. He was originally developed by Batuque in Cape Verde in 2008. The club announced his arrival with the phrase, "Let us make magic together," and expects over 42,000 fans to attend his presentation at the Estádio Monumental on Wednesday night.