Vozinha led Cape Verdes unlikely band of brothers to a brilliant point against Spain this afternoon and then expressed his dismay that those closest to him werent present in Atlanta to witness it.The 40-year-old made seven crucial saves to keep the European champions at bay as Cape Verde celebrated their World Cup debut with a goalless draw against Rodri, Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Co.Tears streamed down his face at the final whistle as he and his team-mates secured one of the most unlikely results in the competitions history for a country that boasts just 600,000 inhabitants.I cried because I grew up with my grandparents, said Vozinha after being awarded player of the match. Unfortunately they were not here. They died a few years before. They were everything for me, everything for my life.And also because of my mum. She didnt manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money you have to pay for the visa, we didnt manage on time. I would like her to be here.The performance is a performance for everyone. I am the man of the game, 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.Table of ContentsCape Verde are at the World Cup to compete VozinhaBubista the architect of Cape Verde performanceCape Verde are at the World Cup to compete VozinhaVozinha now plays for Chaves in the Portuguese second tier but has had a nomadic career with spells in Slovakia, Angola, Moldova and Cyprus. Never would he have expected a day like today.He added: Our best weapon is our unity. Regardless of the player who arrives today, or the player who is 10 or 15 years old, the way we treat our family is our greatest strength.Everyone thought that we came here just to enjoy the World Cup, but no, we know that we have teams that we will always respect, because this is our first time, but we are here to compete, and we are here to fight for our country.We worked a lot for this. We knew we were playing against one of the best national teams in the world but we also know our quality. We worked a lot for this big day. We knew it was going to be very difficult but were very happy.Bubista the architect of Cape Verde performanceWhile Vozinha will claim the headlines, the draw was mostly down to the tactical acumen of coach Bubista, whose side defended superbly but also carried a threat on the counter attack.He said: It means everything, for the country first of all. We said we wanted everybody to see our country, our team. We showed organisation and courage. The team were good in our defending, our defensive organisation, and were never too hurried at the back. We want to do more at this World Cup. Topics Cape Verde national football team Vozinha Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Spain coach De la Fuente frustrated after stunning Cape Verde stalemate: When the ball wont go in, it just wont go in Jon Fisher 15th June, 2026 Spain 0-0 Cape Verde: Report, result and goals as favourites stunned by minnows in World Cup opener Mitch Fretton 15th June, 2026 LIVE Spain v Cape Verde: Commentary, updates, goals and stats Jon Fisher 15th June, 2026 Frustrated Spain striker Oyarzabal makes history for wrong reasons in World Cup opener with Cape Verde Mitch Fretton 15th June, 2026 Spain vs Cape Verde live: World Cup 2026 confirmed teams and full line ups as Rodri and Unai Simon start, TV channel, live online stream and stats Ben Miller 15th June, 2026 World Cup 2026: Full list of confirmed teams, fixtures, groups and results Ben Miller 15th June, 2026
