Another chapter in Vozinha’s story

Yesterday (8 November), Vozinha won the Chilean League with Colo-Colo.

The 40-year-old goalkeeper made history with his heroic saves for the Cape Verde national team during this year’s World Cup, helping the country reach the knockout stages in their first appearance in the tournament.

In August, with his contract at Chaves having expired and much speculation surrounding his future, Vozinha chose to move to Chile.

The goalkeeper signed for Colo-Colo.

Founded in 1925, the Santiago-based club is considered the most popular and successful in the country’s history and has never been relegated from the top flight.

A victory secured in the dying minutes

Although Vozinha had recently lost his place in the starting line-up, having been replaced by the 19-year-old Chilean talent Gabriel Maureira, he returned to the team in recent weeks and put in some key performances to help the club win its 35th national title.

Yesterday, he was the starting goalkeeper in the 2–1 away victory over Ñublense at the Estádio Bicentenario Municipal Nelson Oyarzún in Chillán.

Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal, a two-time Ballon d'Or nominee who began his career at Colo-Colo and returned to the club in 2024, opened the scoring with a spectacular volley in the 14th minute.

Lucas Molina equalised for the home side in the 29th minute.

In the 46th minute of the second half, striker Javier Correa found space in the box and rolled the ball across the face of goal. Marcos Bolados, 30, who had come on in the 68th minute, threw himself towards the ball and sent it into the back of the net, securing the title for Colo-Colo.

The victory took the club’s tally to 61 points, with three matches still to play.

The result mathematically confirmed the title, as rivals Universidad de Chile, in second place with 51 points, can no longer catch them.

The result also leaves Ñublense currently in 11th place, on 35 points.

Vozinha makes his mark

Despite having played just six matches for the club so far, Vozinha has made his mark on the campaign.

In yesterday’s decider, he made a crucial save in the closing minutes, as well as recording an excellent pass completion rate of 85 per cent and making nine ball recoveries.

This is the third title of his career spanning almost 20 years in professional football, during which he has played for nine clubs, across seven countries and three continents.

Titles won by Vozinha:

  • 2015 Cape Verdean Championship (with CS Mindelense)

  • 2018–19 Cyprus Cup (with AEL Limassol)

  • 2026 Chilean Championship (with Colo-Colo)

From Chile to the world

The experienced goalkeeper was nominated for the Goalkeeper of the Season award at this year’s Ballon d'Or and finished sixth in the rankings, having received 45 points from the jury.

“I came here for this, to win the title.” – Vozinha

After the match, Vozinha spoke about the victory: “I came here for this, to win the title. Thank God we managed to win this great title, and I’m very happy. I want to thank all my teammates, all the directors, the coaching staff and everyone at Colo-Colo, who have welcomed me so warmly from day one.” (TNT Sports Chile)

His contract runs until 31 December, but Vozinha chose not to comment on his plans regarding a contract renewal or leaving the club: “Today is a day for celebrating; we’ll talk about the future later.” (TNT Sports Chile)

“To my family, Cape Verde, my teammates and all the Colo-Colo supporters.” – Vozinha

Finally, true to the humility that has made him such a beloved figure in world football, Vozinha dedicated the title to those who, in his opinion, most deserve to share it with him: “To my family, Cape Verde, my team-mates and all the Colo-Colo supporters.” (TNT Sports Chile)

At the age of 40, after leading Cape Verde to a historic World Cup campaign and being recognised as one of the best goalkeepers on the planet, Vozinha adds yet another remarkable chapter to his career.

From Cape Verde to Chile, his story continues to be written – one save, one achievement and one chapter at a time.