Cape Verde’s World Cup sensation Vozinha to join Chile club Colo Colo

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — One of the breakout stars at the World Cup has a new home in Chile — Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has signed a contract with Colo Colo, the South American country’s biggest soccer team.

The 40-year-old Vozinha became one of the most talked-about players at the World Cup with a string of remarkable saves against top teams such as eventual champion Spain and defending champion Argentina.

“Welcome. We’re waiting for you,” the club wrote Friday on its social media pages in a post that quickly sparked excitement not only among Colo Colo supporters but across Chile, where the national team failed this year to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.

Aníbal Mosa, president of Blanco y Negro, the company that manages the Chilean club, had confirmed shortly before that the goalkeeper, who had no contract with any team during the World Cup, will arrive in Chile soon.

“Vozinha is going to be a Colo Colo player. In the next few days, he will travel to Chile, undergo the necessary medical examinations, and then be presented here at the Estadio Monumental,” Mosa told media, referring to Colo Colo’s home stadium in Santiago, Chile’s capital.

Local media said the contract was for 18 months.

Josimar Dias, better known as Vozinha, led Cape Verde, a small island country off the western coast of Africa, to a strong run in the tournament until losing to Lionel Messi’s Argentina 3-2 in extra time in the round of 32.

Vozinha’s appearance and exposure at the World Cup has seen his social media accounts increase from just under 50,000 to nearly 29 million.

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