Vozinha, the Cape Verdean goalkeeper who captured global attention during the World Cup, is officially a Colo Colo player.
The 40-year-old, whose real name is Josimar José Évora Dias, arrived in Santiago on Sunday to a boisterous reception from supporters waving flags and banging drums outside the airport.
He completed his medical exam and put pen to paper on his contract Monday, then joined his new teammates for his first training session Tuesday. He could make his debut as early as this weekend when league leaders Colo Colo take on Unión La Calera.
The move caps a whirlwind few months for a player who spent most of his career in football’s lower tiers, most recently with second-division Portuguese club Chaves.
Everything changed at the World Cup, where his string of saves against elite opposition, including eventual champions Spain and former champions Argentina, turned him into one of the tournament’s most talked-about figures and earned him a place on the FIFA fan-voted dream team.
Getting the deal over the line required clearing an unusual hurdle: Chilean league rules mandate that players display their legal surname on their jersey.
Chile’s football federation granted an exception, allowing him to keep the nickname “Vozinha,” a name he says carries deep sentimental value tied to his grandmother.
Colo Colo, Chile’s most decorated club, is banking on more than just his goalkeeping. His social media following has exploded from roughly 50,000 before the tournament to nearly 30 million today.
