The Chilean Football Federation, known as the ANFP, has provided a special waiver allowing Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha to feature his well-known moniker on his Colo Colo match kit. This 40-year-old athlete joined the Liga de Primera club on a six-month deal this past Monday following his standout displays at the World Cup.
Official league mandates usually prohibit the use of nicknames or aliases on jerseys, requiring players to display their legal names. In this instance, the player’s formal name is Josimar Jose Evora Dias. However, Colo Colo successfully lobbied for the exception, allowing the goalkeeper to use the name ‘Vozinha’, which translates to ‘granny’ in Portuguese.
During a press briefing, the veteran expressed the personal importance of the name, noting it as a lifelong identifier that honors his family history. The goalkeeper gained international recognition and a massive surge in social media popularity after his exceptional performance during Cape Verde’s World Cup run, which included a clean sheet against Spain and a trip to the knockout stages.
Having previously played in nations like Slovakia, Angola, and Cyprus, the player described joining Colo Colo—a team with 34 domestic titles—as the pinnacle of his club career. He stated that despite previous stints at smaller organizations, he always viewed himself as a player suited for a prestigious club, making the move to Santiago a clear priority among his many options.
