Vozinha discusses his nomination for the Yashin Trophy!

Even now, Vozinha struggles to wrap his head around just how far this remarkable year has carried him.

Vozinha is nominated for the Yashin Award

The Cape Verde goalkeeper responded to his nomination for the 2026 Yashin Trophy with striking humility. At 40 years of age, he admitted that he first assumed the news was some kind of prank, and he even confessed that, by his own reckoning, other goalkeepers have stronger cases for such a prestigious individual honour.

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"Many people will say it's unfair, and in a way, that's how I feel too. I thought it was a joke when I heard the news. I say that because I have enormous respect for all these great goalkeepers playing in the best leagues and for the best teams in the world. I see it mainly as another reward for the whole of Cape Verde. At this stage of my career and my life, it's a gift from the universe. So thank you to those who put me there."

Vozinha features among the 10 goalkeepers named on the 2026 shortlist, and he stands as one of three African representatives, joined by Yassine Bounou and Édouard Mendy. The veteran continues his club career in Chile with Colo-Colo, having been transformed into one of the most recognisable goalkeepers of the year on the back of his performances for Cape Verde.

Hazem Mlhem |

Editorar, en

Hazem Mlhem est un rédacteur sportif expérimenté, animé par une passion pour le football africain.

Related teams and leagues

Cape Verde