Before journalists from around the world descended on the home of Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, a Chinese businessman who has known the family for many years had already arrived.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper, whose full name is Josimar Jose Evora Dias, made a name for himself last night when he came close to scoring a solo goalless draw against Spain, making a fine save in Tuesday’s World Cup match.
Lin Jie not only offered his congratulations but made sure the star’s mother, Ana Candida Evora, arrives at the airport on Thursday so she can travel to the United States to watch her son’s next match in Group H.
A native of Wenzhou who has lived on the African islands for 23 years, Lin knows the new sensation on social media – Vozinha’s followers rose from 50,000 before the tournament to 13.2 million as of Thursday – because his cousin works for the Chinese businessman.
The morning after the match, Lin visited the family in Mindelo, Sao Vicente, and in a series of posts on social networks, he described arriving at a warm and humble household where the goalkeeper’s mother talked about her son’s journey with a mixture of heartache and pride.
In one video, Vozinha’s mother is sitting on a sofa next to her daughter, who is wearing her brother’s number 1 jersey, and her grandson.
