For most footballers, winning the Player of the Match award at the FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of a lifetime’s work. It was a bittersweet moment for Cape Verde goalkeeper Wozenha.The 40-year-old veteran was seen in tears on the pitch, moments after the Cape Verdean, who made his tournament debut, produced a sensational display to help Spain to a 0-0 draw. While many assumed that the emotion was simply fueled by the severity of the result, Vozina later revealed that there was a deeply personal reason behind it.His thoughts immediately turned to family members who were unable to witness the biggest performance of his career. Vozinha was raised by his grandparents, whom he credits with shaping his life and football journey. Both passed away several years ago, leaving a void that was felt more acutely than ever on one of the greatest nights in Cape Verdean sports history.“I cried because I grew up with my grandparents, unfortunately they weren’t here. They died a few years ago. They were everything to me, everything to my life,” Voznha said after receiving the player of the match award.The goalkeeper also revealed that his mother had planned to go to America for the World Cup and had already made preparations for the trip. However, financial constraints associated with visa requirements ultimately prevented him from traveling.“And also because of my mother. She couldn’t come here because of the visa. The money you have to pay for the visa, we didn’t arrange it in time. I would like her to come here,” he said.The tears came after a performance that will be remembered for years in Cape Verde. Facing one of the tournament favourites, Vozinha delivered a goalkeeping masterclass, making seven key saves to thwart Spain’s star-studded attack. Spain dominated possession, created chance after chance and fired 27 shots on goal, yet they couldn’t find a way past the inspired goalkeeper. The introduction of teenage sensation Lamine Yamal in the second half also failed to break Cape Verde’s resistance.When the final whistle blew, Wozenha collapsed near his goal, overcome with emotion before being embraced by teammates who understood the significance of what he had achieved. For Cape Verde, it was more than just a point. Playing their first World Cup match, they held European champions Spain to a draw and announced themselves on football’s biggest stage.He added: “Our best weapon is our unity. Regardless of a player coming in today, or a player who is 10 or 15 years old, the way we treat our family is our biggest strength.“Everyone thought we came here just to enjoy the World Cup, but no, we know we have teams that we will always respect, because it’s our first time, but we came here to compete, and we came here to fight for our country,” said Wozenha.
