Cape Verdean goalkeeper Josimar José Évora Dias, known as Vozinha, was presented this Tuesday as a new player for Colo Colo, one of the most popular teams in Chile. The goalkeeper, who shone at the World Cup a month ago, has gone through his first training session with the Cacique squad and faced his first press conference at the Monumental Stadium in Santiago. The African athlete, who did not have a club before the World Cup, has assured that he does not feel pressured by joining a historic South American institution and facing the high expectations of the fans.
The 40-year-old footballer, who has played in the leagues of Cape Verde, Angola, Cyprus, Slovakia, Moldova, and in the second division of Portugal, has thanked the club for the interest in closing his signing. “For me, it is a pleasure and a pride to be here. I thank the president of Colo Colo for the opportunity to play in such a big team, and in a competitive championship. I am very happy to be in Chile, thank you very much,” he said.
The Cape Verdean international, who has reached 29 million followers on Instagram due to the great level he showed in the matches against Spain and Argentina, has given an assessment of his World Cup experience and what it has meant for his country. “The World Cup changed not only my life but the life of all Cape Verde. Many things are positive, but I will continue to be the same Vozinha or Josimar as always. I will keep working and dignifying football. I love football, so for me it will always come first, everything else later,” expressed the new Colo Colo goalkeeper.
Vozinha also assured that Colo Colo was always among his interests. “The decision was very clear because despite always playing in championships and clubs that are not very big, I always told myself that I was a player for a big team. When Colo Colo appeared, the biggest in Chile, there was no doubt,” he said. The goalkeeper also mentioned that he knows the local football thanks to some Chilean players who have been part of the national team and the great world leagues like Marcelo Salas, Iván Zamorano, and Jorge Valdivia.
The player also responded to the pressure generated around his figure. “For me, in football there is no pressure. Pressure is when you are sick, or when someone in your family is sick, or when you have nothing to eat. The fans always want the best, all players work day by day to be well,” he said. The athlete mentioned that he comes from facing matches with great national teams and hopes his experience will be a contribution. “I think about helping the team achieve its goals,” he stated.
The Cape Verdean also said he has talked with Colo Colo coach Fernando Tano Ortiz, who said the goalkeeper will have to compete to earn his place despite his status as a world star. “The coach received me very well, a very calm conversation. He sees me with experience, but the other goalkeepers also have a lot of quality. I will work to show my quality. [Ortiz] was very frank, very calm,” he recounted.
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The Cape Verdean thanked the leaders of the National Professional Football Association (ANFP), who accepted the use of the nickname Vozinha on his jersey after a change in league rules. Regarding his adaptation to Chile, the goalkeeper said he is still in a process of organization and hopes to find a house to bring his family members to the country, including his mother, who has been a fundamental part of his career.
The presentation to the fans
Vozinha was presented to the press by the president of Blanco y Negro, Aníbal Mosa. The main shareholder and controller of the corporation that holds the concession of Colo Colo, he assured that the signing had been agreed upon nine days ago and that since then there had been no changes in the conditions. Regarding the player’s delay in signing his contract, the businessman said the postponement was related to the reinforcement’s personal matters. “Basically, the delay has to do with personal issues. I don’t go out saying I have a closed agreement when I don’t have it closed,” he stated.
Mosa confirmed that the Cape Verdean will be presented during the afternoon of this Wednesday at the Monumental Stadium, in a free event open to all Colo Colo fans. Additionally, the executive announced that Vozinha’s jerseys, which will bear his nickname along with the number 29, will soon go on sale.
Colo Colo is the most successful team in the Chilean league with 34 titles and is the only club in the country to have won the Copa Libertadores, in the 1991 edition. Some world football stars such as Francisco Platko, Carlos Caszely, and Alexis Sánchez, among others, have passed through the institution. It is currently the leader of the standings with 42 points, 12 points ahead of Universidad de Chile, which is in second place with 30 points. The white club is not competing in the Conmebol continental tournaments (Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana) in the 2026 season, so it has concentrated all its efforts on the Chilean championship.
