A waiver has been issued by the Chilean Football Federation (ANFP) to permit Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha to wear his nickname on his Colo Colo jersey.
The 40-year-old signed a six-month deal with the Chilean Liga de Primera club on Monday following worldwide praise for his efforts during the World Cup.
According to the rules of the league, he must be known by his real name, that is, Josimar Jose Evora Dias, as per ANFP rules that stipulate that “nicknames, appellations or sobriquets will not be permitted.”
However, Colo Colo has managed to secure permission for him to play under his nickname, which translates to ‘granny’ in Portuguese.
“It is the name I have used my entire life,” Vozihna said in a news conference. “In Cape Verde, it holds great significance and a rich history, and now it does globally as well.
“If my grandmother were alive today, I think she would be proud. I hope to keep using it for the rest of my career as a tribute.”
¡ ! ⚪️⚫️
Junto a nuestro presidente Aníbal Mosa, el director deportivo Jaime Pizarro y el gerente deportivo Daniel Morón, Vozinha fue presentado como nuevo jugador de Colo-Colo en una conferencia de prensa… pic.twitter.com/OeYAAMqItF
— Colo-Colo (@ColoColo) August 4, 2026
Vozinha reached Santiago over the weekend, greeted with great enthusiasm by Colo Colo’s supporters, and trained with his new teammates two days after that.
The experienced keeper rose to cult status after Cape Verde scored the first ever World Cup point for their nation in the group stage match against Spain, with his number of Instagram followers increasing from 50,000 to almost 30 million.
