Colo-Colo: Vozinha makes his debut with a clean sheet after historic World Cup

Twenty-four days after arriving in Chile, Vozinha finally made his first appearance for Colo-Colo. The 2026 World Cup hero kept a clean sheet on his debut.

Vozinha finally stepped onto Chilean pitches in a Colo-Colo shirt. Having arrived on August 2 after being signed a few days earlier, the Cape Verdean goalkeeper had to wait before making his first official appearance. He was finally handed a starting spot on Wednesday against Unión Española in the Copa Chile, helping his team secure a 3-0 victory, finish top of Group E and qualify for the round of 16.

A first match without conceding

In front of 20,816 spectators at Santiago’s National Stadium, Vozinha experienced a memorable debut. Although he was rarely called upon for much of the match, the 40-year-old goalkeeper did what mattered most: he kept a clean sheet.

He notably had to intervene to deny an attempt from Franco Ratotti in the first half. His performance was generally quiet, although three situations caused some concern, including a missed clearance from a corner and a poorly controlled run outside his penalty area. Neither incident had any consequences for Colo-Colo.

His teammates did the rest. Maximiliano Romero, Marcos Bolados and Felipe Yáñez gave the club a convincing victory and handed Vozinha a winning first night.

The World Cup changed his life

This first appearance comes just weeks after the tournament that transformed the Cape Verdean goalkeeper’s career. During the 2026 World Cup, Vozinha made headlines with several crucial saves against Uruguay, Spain and Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

Eliminated by Argentina in the round of 32, the goalkeeper nevertheless saw his popularity soar. His number of social media followers reportedly rose from fewer than 50,000 to more than 29 million after the tournament.

After his spell at Chaves in Portugal, Vozinha is embarking on a new adventure at the age of 40. And in his first match for Colo-Colo, he has already given the supporters exactly what they wanted: a victory and a clean sheet.

Nouya M'toama

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Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.

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