SANTIAGO, Chile — Vozinha, the emerging Cape Verde goalkeeper who gained international recognition during the World Cup, will be permitted to wear his nickname on his jersey upon joining Chilean football.
This unique exception was unanimously approved by the ANFP, the governing body responsible for Chile’s Primera Division, on Friday.
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This decision involves changes to league regulations that previously required players to display only their last names on jerseys. Executives from top Chilean clubs supported the player’s request, whose full name is Josimar José Évora Dias.
However, concerns are mounting regarding the actual timeline of the goalkeeper’s arrival.
Announced last week as a key signing for Colo-Colo — Chile’s most successful club — the 40-year-old Vozinha was supposed to arrive in Santiago on Tuesday. After a visa delay pushed his travel to Thursday, he ultimately missed his flight, raising concerns among the club and its supporters.
In light of rising worries, Colo-Colo director Jaime Pizarro assured that the deal is still in motion.
“We’ve been in touch with his agent just moments ago,” Pizarro told reporters late Thursday, noting that Vozinha sought additional time to “address some personal matters,” though he did not provide specifics.
During the ANFP meeting, Colo-Colo president Aníbal Mosa acknowledged that the contract has yet to be signed. Reports in the local media suggest that one of Vozinha’s stipulations for joining was having his nickname featured on his shirt.
Colo-Colo coach Fernando Ortiz echoed Pizarro’s sentiments on Friday, confirming he had communicated directly with the goalkeeper and remained optimistic about the transfer.
“We spoke, and I could sense that he was happy and content,” Ortiz stated at a news conference. “Though he’s not overly expressive, he seems excited about the idea of coming here — but he clearly has personal matters to settle first.”
“The anticipation surrounding a player of his caliber joining our league is natural. We hope he can resolve his situation quickly so we can welcome him here.”
While Vozinha is active on social media, he has yet to make any public statements regarding the potential move to Chile. Nonetheless, Coach Ortiz remains unconcerned: “Everything is unfolding as it should,” he emphasized.