Without the US$15,000 required by the Trump administration to go to the USA, Vozinha's mother watches her son's defense in Cape Verde

Cape Verde's goalkeeper, Vozinha, during the game against Spain
Jacob Kupferman/AP
Cape Verde's goalkeeper Vozinha shocked the world by stopping Spain's formidable attacking line from scoring in the island nation's World Cup debut on Monday (15), but there was one woman who wasn't at all surprised.
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The day before the match, the Vozinha's mother, Ana Cândida Évora, appeared on state television to confidently predict that no one would be able to score against her son - a fact she highlighted in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, as her compatriots recovered from the all-night celebrations following the 0-0 draw in the group stage. great goalkeeper. I'm very proud to be Vozinha's mother and I hope he continues to save every ball that comes his way."
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After the final whistle on Monday in Atlanta, 40-year-old Vozinha, whose real name is Josimar Dias, broke down in tears, in part because his mother was unable to travel to see his exploits in person, as he later told reporters, citing a visa issue.
In January, Cape Verde was included on a list of dozens of countries whose citizens needed to pay deposits of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, under rules introduced by Donald Trump's administration designed to curb illegal stay after visa expiration.
Last month, Washington announced it would lift the requirement for World Cup ticket holders, saying it wanted to facilitate "legitimate travel to the next World Cup tournament."
At that point, however, the high costs had already been incurred. led Évora to rule out even trying to make the 6,400 km trip to Atlanta.
"I would have loved to travel and watch the game, but it wasn't possible," he said.
Goalkeeper Vozinha defends Mikel Oyarzabal's header in Spain x Cape Verde
Claudia Greco/Reuters
Prohibitive price
The high costs of getting to the World Cup would be a problem for the people of the archipelago with 10 islands, regardless of the demands deposit, said Mário Semedo, president of the national football federation.
"It is not easy for a Cape Verdean resident to travel to a World Cup. Airfare, accommodation and tickets to games involve significant costs," he told Reuters.
"There are certainly ways to deal with immigration issues and, at the same time, create conditions that allow fans to travel. If a player's family member, for example, wants to attend the tournament, every effort must be made to facilitate this."
A Democratic leader in the US Congress called on the Trump administration to intervene to help Évora.
"No mother should miss the chance to see her child make history," said Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, on social media.
"I asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to do everything in his power to ensure she can watch the next match on Sunday."
Despite having to watch from across the Atlantic, the family of Vozinha said she was very happy with her performance. He had to deal with 27 shots from European champions Spain, who controlled possession for 75% of the Group H game.
"His performance was wonderful, spectacular. He managed to make an entire nation happy, which is a tremendous achievement for our country. It's difficult to describe exactly how I feel," said the goalkeeper's brother, Davidson Évora.
Celebrations
Near the family home in São Vicente, excited crowds celebrated the equalizer until the early hours of the morning on Tuesday, waving flags, dancing and honking horns.
"I cried until I couldn't anymore. I'm proud of you, proud of our people. Keep it up, because this World Cup is ours", said fan Magali Monteiro.
Will Vozinha's family try to get a last-minute visa to watch the other group stage games for the Blue Sharks, who will face Uruguay, in Miami, next Sunday?
Davidson Évora said it was a good idea, although they had not yet made any plans, nor had they contacted the football federation to ask for help.
"It would be something wonderful", he said, "because we are living in a historic and unprecedented moment".

Source: G1