Vozinha, the 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper whose man-of-the-match performance denied Spain in one of the biggest World Cup shocks of all time, will be reunited with his mother at the tournament after the cost of her visa to the US was waived.
Vozinha made seven saves as minnows Cape Verde held Spain, one of the World Cup favourites, to a 0-0 draw in Atlanta. His heroic performance in his World Cup debut resulted in his Instagram following exploding from just over 50,000 to over 12 million.
The goalkeeper was in tears at full-time, however, as he mourned the fact that neither his late grandparents or his mother were at the stadium to witness his performance. Vozinha said his mother was unable to secure a visa to travel to the US because she couldn’t afford to pay a returnable bond of $15,000 (£11,200).
But in a fresh twist, Hakeem Jeffries, the democratic leader of the House of Representatives says he has secured Vozinha’s mother a visa to travel to her son’s next game in Miami on Sunday and attend the match. Jeffries said he had spoken with Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, to secure her visa.
“No mother should miss the chance to see her child make history,” Jeffries posted on X. “Upon learning of this development, I spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and asked the State Department to do everything in their power to ensure that his mother can attend Cabo Verde’s next match.
“It is a privilege to announce that Vozinha’s mom will be able to secure a visa in time to attend their game this Sunday against Uruguay. All fees have been waived consistent with official policy. Travel arrangements are now being made for mother and son to reunite in Miami.
“I thank Secretary Rubio, U.S. State Department officials, the government of Cabo Verde and FIFA for working together to make this possible. Nos ki dan.”
Speaking after Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw with Spain, Vozinha had said: “I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and unfortunately they were not here; they died a few years ago. They were everything for me, for my life. I also cried because my mum didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money we had to pay for the visa, we didn’t manage to [get it done] on time. I would like her to be here, but I’m also very happy.”
