The 40-year-old keeper who inspired Cape Verde's historic debut against Spain

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Figure caption,

World Cup debutants Cape Verde hold on for draw against Spain

ByElizabeth ConwayWorld Cup reporter , AtAtlanta Stadium

Published44 minutes ago

As the final whistle rang out around the Atlanta Stadium, the cameras cut to Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha.

Tears streamed down the 40-year-old's face as the magnitude of what he had just achieved was starting to sink in, after his side's 0-0 draw with World Cup favourites Spain.

The stands erupted and thousands of Cape Verde supporters, who had carried their team with relentless noise for 90 minutes, celebrated together - hugging, dancing, and relishing the result.

On the pitch, players raced towards each other in complete joy. Even the neutrals had been swept up in the occasion - by full-time, many were celebrating too.

Against European champions Spain, veteran goalkeeper Vozinha had delivered the performance of his life to earn a heroic clean sheet and the most memorable result in his country's history.

"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 didn't manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money you have to pay for the visa, we didn't manage on time. I would like her to be here."

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."

'It's been a dream since I was a child'

For Vozinha, this moment had been a lifetime in the making.

Born Josimar Dias, the Cape Verde goalkeeper has spent his entire career chasing the dream of playing at a 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 nation's debut World Cup match, surpassing the record set on Sunday by Curacao's Eloy Room.

In fact, only Egypt's Essam El Hadary was older when making their World Cup debut.

It is a remarkable milestone in a career defined by perseverance.

"I started playing professional football when I was 25 years old, in 2012. It was too late for a person like me," said Vozinha.

"I thought about leaving the national team, but then I continued because of this dream.

"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."

Cape Verde lies nearly 600km off the west coast of Africa, a beautiful but isolated archipelago where opportunities for young footballers are limited. Growing up in Mindelo, Vozinha faced challenges from the outset.

"I was one of the best keepers on my island, but I was small," he recalled. "Even when I performed well, I wasn't selected because of my height."

Like many players before him, he eventually left for Portugal, the country's former colonial power, in search of opportunity. That decision marked the beginning of a career that would take him across Slovakia, Angola, Moldova and Cyprus. Now Vozinha plays with Portuguese second-tier side Chaves.

Even Vozinha's name carries a piece of footballing history. His father had hoped to call him 'Valdano', after the Argentina and Real Madrid great Jorge Valdano, but the Cape Verde authorities refused. Instead, he was named Josimar after the Brazil defender who rose to prominence at the 1986 World Cup.

Decades later, on another World Cup stage, Vozinha has created history of his own.

Image source, ReutersImage caption,

Vozinha made seven saves in Cape Verde's 0-0 draw against Spain

'Vozinha has lit up this game'

Roared on by thousands of Cape Verde supporters, he stood firm against Spain's relentless attack, making seven crucial saves - the only goalkeeper over 40 years of age to have made more in a World Cup match was Pat Jennings with 10 on his 41st birthday for Northern Ireland against Brazil in 1986.

Each save was greeted like a Cape Verde goal by those in the stands in Atlanta.

Away from the ground, he was becoming a viral sensation, too - rising from 50,000 followers on Instagram to more than 1.5m after CazeTV - the YouTube channel which has the World Cup rights in Brazil, urged their watchers to follow him.

"That is crazy," he remarked to reporters when told about it afterwards.

Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin said the goalkeeper "lit up this game".

"He has been absolutely brilliant," Nevin told 5 Live. "He's done it at 40 years of age. Every single camera is on him, all his players are pointing to him. It is a beautiful moment.

"Cape Verde spent the vast majority of the game in their own 18-yard box - not all of it, and when they broke they were brave and they broke in numbers.

"To do that and to keep that level of concentration, you don't do that if you're a bunch of individuals, you only do that if you're a team."

Lee Dixon on ITV added: "It's absolutely fantastic. A brilliant performance. They deserve that point more than anything and Spain almost don't deserve a point. They walk off disappointed but the night is Cape Verde's.

"What a performance from every single one of them, the centre halves, the full-backs, that man there [Vozinha] crying - I'm almost crying myself."

For a nation of just over half a million people, the third smallest ever to qualify for a World Cup, this was a result of immense significance.

In the stands, their supporters matched that intensity. Clad in blue and waving red, white and blue flags, they sang and danced throughout, lifting their team through every difficult moment. By full-time, neutrals had been won over. Cape Verde's story had become everyone's story.

A small island nation, no larger than Sheffield, had captured the imagination of the football world.