Vozinha has turned the defining month of his career into a move to one of South America’s most historic clubs. The Cabo Verde goalkeeper completed his transfer to Colo-Colo on Monday after passing a medical examination, joining as a free agent following the end of his contract with Portuguese second-tier side Chaves. His first training session and formal media presentation were scheduled for Tuesday at the Estadio Monumental.
According to EFE’s report on the completed signing, the agreement runs for six months and includes the possibility of a further 12-month extension. That means Colo-Colo can assess his sporting impact during the remainder of the Chilean season before deciding whether to keep him throughout 2027.
A short contract with a route into 2027
Earlier reports described the agreement as an 18-month contract, but the structure confirmed after the signing is more cautious. Vozinha is initially committed until December 2026, with the additional year dependent on the extension being activated. The arrangement limits Colo-Colo’s risk while offering the goalkeeper a clear opportunity to earn a longer stay.
The club confirmed the transfer with a brief statement on social media. Quoted by Reuters in its report on the agreement, Colo-Colo announced: “Vozinha signed his contract and officially became a new Colo-Colo player.” The same report confirmed that the deal was completed after his medical on Monday.
The move brings Vozinha to the most decorated club in Chilean league history. Colo-Colo’s official honours list records 34 national championships, 14 Copa Chile titles and the 1991 Copa Libertadores, making the club the only Chilean side to have won South America’s leading continental competition.
The night Spain made him a global star
Vozinha arrived at the World Cup as an experienced international goalkeeper but a largely unfamiliar figure outside African and Portuguese football. That changed during Cabo Verde’s opening match against Spain, when the tournament debutants held one of the favourites to a remarkable 0-0 draw. The result was built on disciplined defending and a career-defining performance from their 40-year-old captain.
According to The Guardian’s report from the match, Vozinha made seven saves and was named player of the match. After the final whistle, he said: “I have worked my whole life for this moment. I’m 40 years old. I started playing football professionally when I was 25.”
The performance carried additional emotional weight. Vozinha dedicated the night to his late grandparents and his mother, who had been unable to travel to the United States. His reaction at full time, combined with his saves and Cabo Verde’s historic result, made him one of the most memorable figures of the tournament’s opening phase.
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As described by FIFA’s official match report, Cabo Verde produced an extraordinary collective performance to deny Spain on their first appearance at a World Cup. FIFA later placed Vozinha among the leading goalkeepers in its group-stage power rankings.
Cabo Verde’s journey did not end with Spain
The draw was not an isolated result. Cabo Verde progressed from the group stage during its first World Cup campaign and continued to frustrate more established nations. Vozinha remained central to the team’s ability to survive long periods without possession and compete against opponents with significantly greater resources.
Their journey eventually ended with a 3-2 extra-time defeat to defending champions Argentina in the round of 32. FIFA’s official match statistics show that Argentina registered 22 attempts and 12 efforts on target, but Cabo Verde remained in contention until an own goal in the 111th minute decided the tie.
That run changed the trajectory of Vozinha’s career. He entered the competition without a club after leaving Chaves, but departed as an internationally recognised goalkeeper with a sharply increased following and interest from several markets. A player who had spent much of his career outside Europe’s leading divisions suddenly became one of the summer’s most discussed free agents.
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Santiago welcomes its unlikely new star
Vozinha’s arrival in Chile demonstrated how dramatically his public profile had changed. Hundreds of supporters gathered at Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez airport, greeting him with chants and Cabo Verde flags after his journey from Madrid. The reception was far closer to the unveiling of an established international celebrity than the arrival of a short-term free transfer.
Quoted by EFE’s report from the airport, the goalkeeper said: “I’m very happy to have arrived here and I thank the fans for the patience they have shown in waiting for me.” He also referred to Colo-Colo as a “great club” before telling the supporters that he would see them soon at the Monumental.
His arrival had been delayed by visa and administrative issues, creating brief uncertainty about whether the transfer would be completed. Those concerns ended when he reached Chile, passed his medical and signed alongside Colo-Colo president Aníbal Mosa. The club is now preparing a larger welcome for him in front of supporters at its stadium.
Colo-Colo win the battle over his name
One of the more unusual complications concerned the name that would appear on his shirt. Chilean competition rules had prohibited players from using nicknames, potentially forcing Vozinha to play under one of his legal surnames rather than the name by which he is known around the football world.
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Colo-Colo asked for an exception, and the other Chilean clubs agreed to the request. Vozinha will therefore be permitted to use his established football name rather than “Évora”, “Dias” or “Évora Dias”. The decision preserves the identity that became globally recognisable during the World Cup.
His full name is Josimar José Évora Dias, while “Vozinha” translates approximately as “little grandmother” in Portuguese. Reuters reported that the nickname dates back to his childhood, when older boys used it after he would react emotionally to defeats in street football and return to the home of the grandparents with whom he lived.
More than a marketing signing
The commercial value of the transfer is obvious. Vozinha arrives with international recognition, a remarkable personal story and a social-media following that grew dramatically during the World Cup. For a Chilean club seeking greater visibility beyond South America, his presence offers attention that would ordinarily require a far more expensive signing.
That does not mean the move is purely promotional. Vozinha has been Cabo Verde’s leading goalkeeper for more than a decade and demonstrated against Spain and Argentina that his reactions, positioning and concentration remain strong enough for elite international football. His age makes the transfer unusual, but his World Cup performances showed that he can still operate under intense pressure.
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Colo-Colo have not publicly guaranteed him the starting position. He must adapt to a new league, new teammates and a different footballing environment after spending most of his career in Europe and Africa. The six-month contract ensures that his reputation alone will not be enough to secure the additional year.
A late-career opportunity with real expectations
For Colo-Colo, the signing combines experience, sporting competition and international attention at a relatively low financial risk. The club are fighting for another domestic championship and have added a goalkeeper accustomed to leading an underdog against some of the strongest attacking teams in the world. His personality may also offer value inside a dressing room containing younger players.
For Vozinha, the transfer represents something far more personal. He began playing professionally relatively late, spent years moving through leagues in Cabo Verde, Angola, Moldova, Cyprus, Slovakia and Portugal, and reached his first World Cup at the age of 40. His reward is a move to a club with one of the largest and most demanding supporter bases in South America.
The World Cup made Vozinha famous, but Colo-Colo will determine whether his story develops into more than a memorable summer. The initial contract gives him only a few months to prove that the goalkeeper who frustrated Spain can also perform consistently in Chile. At 40, he has earned the biggest club opportunity of his career, but he must now justify it.
