Vozinha: The 40-year-old keeper who inspired Cape Verde’s historic debut

For Bhojinha, this moment was a lifetime.

Born Josima Dias, the Cape Verde goalkeeper has spent his entire career chasing the dream of playing at the World Cup.

When it finally arrived, it came with history attached. At 40 years and 12 days, he became the oldest player to appear in a country’s World Cup debut, surpassing the record set by Curaçao’s Eloy Room on Sunday.

In fact, only Egypt’s Essam El Hadary was older on his World Cup debut.

This is a significant milestone in a career defined by perseverance.

“I started playing professional football at the age of 25, in 2012. It was too late for a person like me,” said Vojinha.

“I thought about quitting the national team, but then I continued because of this dream.

“A performance is a performance for everyone. I am the man of the match, but this award is for all my colleagues, because without them, nothing is possible. And I will continue to work for the team and for the people.”

Cape Verde is located about 600 kilometers off the west coast of Africa, a beautiful but isolated archipelago where opportunities for young footballers are limited. Growing up in Mindelo, Vojinha faced challenges from the start.

“I was one of the best defenders of my island, but I was young,” he recalled. “Even when I performed well, I was not selected because of my height.”

Like many players before him, he eventually moved to the country’s former colonial power, Portugal, in search of opportunity. This decision marked the beginning of a career that would take him across Slovakia, Angola, Moldova and Cyprus. Now Vojinha plays with Chavez, a Portuguese second tier team.

Even Bhojinha’s name carries a piece of football history. His father had hoped to call him ‘Valdano’ after Argentina and Real Madrid great Jorge Valdano, but the Cape Verdean authorities refused. Instead, he was named Zosimer after the Brazilian defender who rose to fame in the 1986 World Cup.

Decades later, on another World Cup stage, Vojinha made his own history.