Vozinha's club career has consisted of spells in Cape Verde, Angola, Moldova, Portugal, Cyprus, and Slovakia. A full international since 2012, and the second-highest caps earner in the history of the Cape Verde national team, he has played in five major international tournaments: the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, 2015, 2021, and 2023 and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Vozinha attracted significant international attention and acclaim for his performances against Spain and Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, including keeping a clean sheet against eventual champions Spain.
Club career
Born in Mindelo on the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde, Vozinha began his career at local club Batuque, playing for them until 2011 before moving to local city rivals CS Mindelense. In 2012, he was signed by Progresso do Sambizanga in Angola, remaining for three years until the expiration of his contract. In March 2015, Vozinha returned to Mindelense in the São Vicente Island League, signing for one year. He played all games in the successful Cape Verdean Championship campaign, excluding the final.
In July 2024, he returned to Portugal, signing for Liga Portugal 2 side Chaves. On 1 June 2026, approaching his 40th birthday and with his contract expiring, he announced his exit.
Colo-Colo
In July 2026, it was announced by Chilean club Colo-Colo that Vozinha was set to join the team on an 18-month contract. The club's president Anibal Mosa stated "Vozinha will be a Colo-Colo player". Vozinha's flight to Chile scheduled for 28 July was delayed due to issues with his visa. It was postponed to 30 July, at which point Moroccan club RS Berkane made an unsuccessful attempt to hijack the transfer. Vozinha was seen boarding a plane on 2 August departing from Madrid bound for Chile.[citation needed]
International career
Vozinha made his debut for the Cape Verde national team in September 2012 in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification playoff first leg at home to Cameroon, a 2–0 win. He remained in goal for the second leg in Yaoundé on 14 October, a 2–1 loss which saw Cape Verde qualify for its first major tournament. At the finals in South Africa, the team reached the quarterfinals before a 2–0 loss to Ghana. He conceded the second goal after going up for the throw-in in the lulling seconds to attack corner kick.
Vozinha made his World Cup debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup for Cape Verde. In the side's first game, Vozinha saved seven shots, securing a 0–0 draw for Cape Verde against Spain, the eventual champion of the tournament. He won the Player of the Match Award for his performance. At 40 years and 12 days old, he became the oldest player to feature in a nation's first FIFA World Cup match – breaking the record that had been set by Curaçao's Eloy Room just a day earlier – and was also the ninth-oldest player to ever feature in the tournament. He also became the third-oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in a World Cup match, following Peter Shilton and Dino Zoff, and, in the process, moved into second-place among goalkeepers over 40 years old for most saves in a World Cup match on record (since 1966). On 26 June, he kept another clean sheet in a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia, helping his country qualify for the knockout stage as group runners-up. In the Round of 32, Vozinha saved eight shots against defending champions Argentina in a 3–2 loss in extra time. Vozinha's performance was lauded by fans and the media, and he was named a "hero" for Cape Verde. Following the end of the tournament, Vozinha was voted into the Dream XI all-star team by fans.
Personal life
Vozinha's parents wanted to name him Valdano after Argentina player Jorge Valdano, but it was not permitted by Cape Verdean authorities. He was given his first name in honour of Josimar, a full-back for Brazil at the 1986 FIFA World Cup. As his father was in the military and his mother worked long hours, he was raised by his grandparents; he received his first nickname — Avó — meaning "Granny", for complaining to them when things did not go his way when playing as a child. He said that he played under his first name until he moved to Angola, where another goalkeeper was also called Josimar.
Vozinha's younger brother, Delmiro, was also a Cape Verdean player and played for several clubs in the Cypriot Second Division. His other brother, Kleidir, is a mathematics teacher in Brazil.
Vozinha gained over 17 million Instagram followers days after his FIFA World Cup debut against Spain, following coverage by Brazilian broadcaster CazéTV and Portuguese broadcaster LivemodeTV, and a united campaign to help the goalkeeper reach 1 million followers to celebrate his performance. He now has over 29.5 million followers as of July 2026.
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