Vozinha Time In Santiago: How Colo-Colo Beat The Delays And Kit Rules

Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha landed at Santiago's international airport on Sunday evening to finalise his transfer to Chilean club Colo-Colo, after a series of visa and administrative complications delayed his travel by several days.

Hundreds of supporters gathered at the terminal with flags and banners to greet the player from Mindelo after visa and administrative complications delayed his travel schedule by several days.

Who Is Vozinha?

The 40-year-old goalkeeper, born Josimar Jose Evora Dias, is widely known by his childhood nickname, Vozinha, which translates to "little grandmother," as a tribute to his grandmother, in Portuguese.

Before his recent rise to international prominence, he spent his career playing for clubs across Cape Verde, Angola, Moldova, Cyprus, Slovakia, and Portugal.

Most recently, he played for GD Chaves in the Portuguese second division, where his market valuation stood at approximately 50,000 Euros.

World Cup Breakthrough & Move to Chile

However, Vozinha's profile changed during the FIFA World Cup 2026, when Cape Verde made their tournament debut. He captained the national team during a historic campaign that saw the Blue Sharks reach the knockout stages.

His individual performances included a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against eventual champions Spain, where he made as many as seven saves on target. He also made eight saves against Argentina in a 3-2 extra-time defeat in the Round of 32.

These performances earned him a spot on the fan-voted World Cup Dream Team, while his Instagram following grew from 50,000 to over 17 million overnight.

Now, joining Colo-Colo, arguably the most successful football club in Chile, means a significant professional progression for the veteran goalkeeper. He has agreed to a six-month contract with an option to extend for an additional season, with reports indicating a salary of approximately USD 25,000 per month.

For Colo-Colo, the record 34-time Chilean champions, this signing offers both sporting reinforcement and significant marketing opportunities.

Overcoming Regulatory Hurdles

The transfer, however, required a regulatory exception from the Chilean Football Federation, which granted permission for him to wear his nickname "Vozinha" on his jersey, bypassing the league's strict registration rules.

Chilean Primera Division rules (Article 36) require players to display their official legal surnames (no nicknames, appellations, or sobriquets) on the back of jerseys. And this posed a major marketing and merchandising hurdle for Colo-Colo.

The club successfully fought and secured a special exemption for the goalkeeper to use the name "Vozinha" on his kit, allowing him to retain his iconic identity following his post-World Cup social media surge.

Vozinha is scheduled to undergo his medical examinations before his official presentation at the Estadio Monumental David Arellano, a 47,347-capacity venue in Macul that has served as the historic home fortress of Colo-Colo since its permanent opening in 1989.

Colo-Colo currently lead the Chilean top division, Liga de Primera, after 17 rounds with 42 points, 12 more than second-placed Universidad de Chile.