Cape Verde's goalkeeper Vozinha celebrates with his national flag at the end of their 2026 Fifa World Cup match against Spain. His mother will now be able to attend his next game, against Uruguay, on Sunday.
The mother of Cape Verde’s goalkeeper - who missed her son’s stunning World Cup performance because of visa complications - will be allowed to travel to the United States after all, after congressional leaders and the State Department intervened.
Josimar “Vozinha” Dias, the 40-year-old goalkeeper for the underdog Cape Verde national team, made seven saves in Monday’s match between Cape Verde and Spain. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, a disappointment for powerhouse Spain, which has been a favourite to win the World Cup title.
After the game, Vozinha wept, revealing that his mother could not travel to the World Cup because she could not afford the $15,000 (about R246 000) bond the State Department requires for Cape Verde residents to obtain a visa. The revelation prompted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) to contact Secretary of State Marco Rubio to facilitate travel for Vozinha’s mother.
“No mother should miss the chance to see her child make history,” Jeffries said in a statement Wednesday.
