Priced out of World Cup, Vozinha's mother watches son's heroics from home

PRAIA, June 16 : Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha stunned the world by shutting out Spain's formidable attacking line-up in the island nation's World Cup debut on Monday but one woman was not the least bit surprised.

A day before the match, Vozinha's mother Ana Candida Evora went on state television to confidently predict that no-one would manage to score past her son - a fact she pointed out to Reuters on Tuesday as her countrymen recovered from all-night celebrations after the 0-0 group-stage draw.

"I said that no ball would enter his goal, and that is exactly what happened," said Evora, a 59-year-old house cleaner."He is a great goalkeeper. I am very proud to be Vozinha's mother, and I hope he continues to save every ball that comes his way."

After the final whistle on Monday in Atlanta, the 40-year-old Vozinha, whose real name is Josimar Dias, broke down in tears, in part because his mother had not been able to travel to see his heroics in person, he later told reporters, citing a visa issue.

PRICEY VISA BOND COMPLICATES TRAVEL PLANS

In January, Cape Verde was included on a list of dozens of countries whose citizens needed to post bonds of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, under regulations introduced by Donald Trump's administration and intended to curb visa overstays.

Last month, Washington announced it was dropping the requirement for World Cup ticket holders, saying it wanted to facilitate "legitimate travel for the upcoming World Cup tournament".

By that point, however, the high costs had already caused Evora to rule out even trying to make the 6,400-km trip to Atlanta.

"I would have loved to travel and watch the match but it was not possible," she said.

The high costs of getting to the World Cup would be a problem for people on the 10-island archipelago regardless of whether the bond requirement was in force, said Mario 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 match tickets all involve significant costs," he told Reuters.

"There are certainly ways to manage immigration concerns while also creating conditions that allow supporters to travel. If a player's family member, for example, wants to attend the tournament, every effort should be made to facilitate that."

A U.S. Democratic congressional leader called on the Trump administration to step in to help Evora.

"No mother should miss the chance to see her child make history," House of Representatives Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said on social media.

"I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to do everything in his power to ensure that she can attend (the) next match on Sunday."

'THIS WORLD CUP BELONGS TO US'Despite having to watch from across the Atlantic, Vozinha's family said they were thrilled by his performance as he fended off 27 goal attempts from European champions Spain who controlled possession for 75 per cent of the Group H match.

"His performance was wonderful, spectacular. He managed to make an entire nation happy, which is a tremendous achievement for our country. It is difficult to describe exactly how I feel," said the keeper's brother, Davidson Evora.

Near the family home in Sao Vicente, raucous crowds celebrated the draw into the wee hours on Tuesday, waving flags, dancing and honking car horns.

"I have cried until I couldn't cry anymore. I am proud of you, proud of our people. Keep going, because this World Cup belongs to us," said supporter Magali Monteiro.

Might Vozinha's family try for a last-minute visa to see the rest of the Blue Sharks' group matches, which continue on Sunday against Uruguay in Miami?

Davidson Evora said it was a good idea, though they had not yet made any plans or reached out to the football federation for support.

"It would be something wonderful," he said, "because we are living through a historic and unprecedented moment."