World Cup star Vozinha arrived in Chile to a hero’s welcome after signing for Colo-Colo.
The 40-year-old landed in Santiago late last night with hundreds of fans waiting at the airport, sparking wild scenes.
Vozinha flew in from Portugal via Madrid and will go through medical check-ups today before joining training for the Liga de Primera leaders on Tuesday.
“Good evening, I’m very happy to be here… representing Colo-Colo. See you soon at the Monumental. Thank you,” he said before being whisked away to a downtown hotel.
Vozinha’s dramatic rise to fame started when he produced a stunning performance for Cape Verde against Spain in their Group H opener in Atlanta, making a string of brilliant saves to keep out the eventual winners in a goalless draw.
He was an overnight sensation with his Instagram following ballooning from around 50,000 to almost 15 million.
Vozinha had had a nomadic career up to that point with spells at clubs in Angola, Moldova, Cyprus and Slovakia before appearing most recently for Portuguese second division side Chaves.
Vozinha believes he has two seasons left in him
His contract at Chaves expired in June and with his fame at an all-time high he expressed his desire to secure one last move, although made it clear he wanted to be judged as a player, not a marketing tool.
He told CBS News last month: “I want to keep playing for at least another one or two years, depending on how my body feels. I hope I can find a club that wants me because I’m a football player, not because I’m a marketing person.”
On his remarkable rise to prominence, he added: “I’m very grateful and very happy for everything that happened in my life.
“I never expected any of this. It’s been crazy, insane. Football has always allowed me to be around people, but this level of recognition is something I never imagined.
“In Cape Verde, we love welcoming people. We can cook outside our homes and eat together in the street. Now I can’t always do that anymore. But I’m happy because before, whenever we said we were from Cape Verde, people would ask, ‘Where is that?’ Now they know our country. I think that’s the best thing that could happen.”
Vozinha hopes World Cup success lays foundation for Cape Verde football
Vozinha hopes Cape Verde’s success at the World Cup will enable other talented young players from the islands in the Atlantic to carve out careers in the game.
He said: “In our country, the opportunities are very small. We are African, we are Cape Verdean, and first you have to fight for visas. Even though we have a lot of talent, it’s difficult because nobody is watching you. We don’t have the facilities or the conditions that bigger countries have.
“There has always been talent in Cape Verde, but players rarely had the opportunity to go to Europe or be seen by bigger clubs. Now everybody is watching.”
Colo-Colo have a 12-point lead at the top of the table after just 17 games and Vozinha could make his debut when they take on Union La Calera this weekend.
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