Merve Gül Aydoğan Ağlarcı
16 June 2026•Update: 16 June 2026
US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday to help the mother of Cape Verde goalkeeper Josimar Jose Evora Dias, known as Vozinha, attend his country's next World Cup match after she missed the previous match because of visa complications.
"The Cabo Verde national football team shocked Spain on the strength of a historic performance by goalkeeper Vozinha," Jeffries wrote on US social media platform X.
"His Mom was unable to be there because of visa complications," he added.
Saying that "no mother should miss the chance to see her child make history," Jeffries said he asked Rubio “to do everything in his power to ensure that she can attend Cabo Verde's next match on Sunday."
Vozinha spoke to reporters Tuesday after his country's 0-0 draw with Spain and became emotional as he reflected on the absence of family members who played a major role in his life.
"My mother could not be here because of a visa issue. We could not pay the money required for the visa on time," said the visibly emotional 40-year-old goalkeeper.
Vozinha was named player of the match in the country’s first-ever FIFA World Cup match.
His performance sparked a surge in popularity on social media, with his Instagram account growing from around 50,000 followers before the match to nearly 2 million afterward, according to screenshots online.
