SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Goalkeeper Vozinha — who starred during Cape Verde’s World Cup debut — finally made his first appearance for Chilean powerhouses Colo-Colo on Wednesday in a Copa Chile soccer match against Unión Española.The 40-year-old veteran, whose real name is Josimar Évora Dias, arrived in South America on Aug. 2 after Colo-Colo announced his signing on July 24. Paperwork issues and personal matters had delayed his arrival three times, raising concerns among fans and team officials.Upon landing, Vozinha immediately joined training with the domestic league leaders, who currently hold a 13-point cushion over rivals Universidad de Chile.Since his arrival, the Cape Verdean goalkeeper has been part of the squad for three matches — including last Sunday’s “Superclásico” against Universidad de Chile at the National Stadium — though he remained on the bench for that fixture.
And his debut went swimmingly: Colo-Colo secured the top spot in Group E after a 3–0 rout of the “Hispanos,” who were eliminated from the competition. Despite a few early jitters, Vozinha settled in well between the posts and demonstrated reliability when called upon, denying the visitors a consolation goal and keeping a clean sheet in his first match.Vozinhafaces stiff competition for the starting role. With regular goalkeeper Fernando De Paul out injured, 19-year-old academy product Gabriel Maureira has firmly established himself as the team’s starter, earning praise for his standout performance in the “Superclásico.”
