Cape Verde goalkeeper steals show as Spain are held to goalless draw
40-year-old goalkeeper Josimar José Évora Dias, famously known as Vozinha, produced a man-of-the-match performance to help FIFA World Cup debutants Cabo Verde settle for a 0-0 draw with global heavyweights Spain.
Vozinha was busy between the sticks, producing some extraordinary saves to give Cabo Verde a historic performance on Monday, June 15, 2026. The longevity of the shot-stopper speaks for itself, making his debut for the national team 14 years ago and racking up over 80 appearances for the Blue Sharks since then.
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He has featured in four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, though this – alongside his teammates – is his first FIFA World Cup.
Match report
Cape Verde, a nation with just over half a million people, held out against Luis de la Fuente’s star-studded team, earning their first-ever point in the global showpiece.
With the world shocked by the results, Cabo Verde were organised from the back to the front, while frustrating Spain, who enjoyed a lion’s share of possession.
La Roja’s clearest first-half opening came when Ferran Torres struck the crossbar after being set up by Marc Cucurella. The ball rebounded to Mikel Oyarzabal, whose instinctive header forced a superb save from Vozinha. The 40-year-old Cabo Verde goalkeeper was in inspired form, and he made a tremendous sprawling stop to keep out Aymeric Laporte’s header on the stroke of half-time.
The Blue Sharks had some sporadic forays into the attacking third, too, giving their defenders some much-needed respite.
Fabian Ruiz efforts
Early in the second period, Fabian Ruiz curled an effort over the bar from range, but a Spanish onslaught did not materialise as Cabo Verde continued to stand firm.
At 71 minutes, De la Fuente called for Lamine Yamal off the bench – and the teenage sensation’s presence immediately changed the momentum of the game.
However, Cabo Verde remained compact and managed to deal with threats created by Lamine Yamal
Rodri’s assessment
Reacting to the draw, Spain’s captain argued that the team needed to be lethal in front of the goal, bearing in mind that Cabo Verde guarded their keeper well.
“The team tried; I think we had good fluidity. It’s about fine-tuning those chances we created, because against a team that sits back so much, you’re not going to have many, and you know you have to take them. It’s that simple,” Rodri stated.
On the other hand, De la Fuente lauded Cabo Verde over how they marshalled their backline, insisting that there is no small team at the World Cup.
“In our heads there’s positivity and a desire to improve. We should have won today’s match with everything that happened, with all the favourable situations we created, but we lacked freshness and clinical edge. We need to keep growing and gaining rhythm. That’s the big goal in the days we have until the next game. The opponent was a very physically strong team. We knew they were going to set up with a very low block and with very powerful players. If you add to that the fact that we lacked freshness, then this happens. Football is like that – there are no small opponents here,” De la Fuente observed.
With that draw, Cabo Verde will be looking for more inspiration from their keeper, as they have drawn into Group H alongside Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia.
