Vozinha's mum watches on as Cape Verde continue captivating World Cup journey in Miami
Cape Verde's remarkable World Cup story continued on Sunday as they held Uruguay to a 2-2 draw in Miami, with goalkeeper Vozinha's mother, Evora, watching from the stands. After missing her son's historic performance against Spain due to visa issues, Evora was finally able to attend following a successful fundraising effort.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha had a special guest in the stands for Sunday's World Cup clash against Uruguay after his mother, Evora, finally made the trip to the United States to watch her son on football's biggest stage.
The 40-year-old had spoken emotionally after Cape Verde's draw against Spain earlier this week, revealing that his mother had been unable to attend because of visa issues. A social media campaign to raise funds for her travel gathered momentum in the days that followed and eventually helped bring her to Miami, where television cameras frequently picked her out in the crowd.
Her presence coincided with another memorable evening for the Blue Sharks, who recovered from a goal down to secure a 2-2 draw against Uruguay and move to two points from their opening two Group H matches.
Cape Verde arrived with confidence after frustrating Spain and they showed little sign of nerves against the South Americans. Their reward came in the 21st minute when Kevin Pina stepped up over a free-kick and fired a low effort beyond Fernando Muslera to score the country's first goal at a World Cup.
Uruguay struggled to impose themselves for large periods of the first half but found a route back into the contest just before the interval. Manuel Ugarte's header bounced off the post and fell kindly for Maxi Araujo, who nodded into an empty net in the 44th minute.
FIFA WORLD CUP 2026, URUGUAY VS CAPE VERDE HIGHLIGHTS
The momentum shifted rapidly thereafter. Deep into stoppage time, Araujo turned provider, directing Ugarte's free-kick into the path of Agustin Canobbio, who finished from close range to send Marcelo Bielsa's side into the break with a 2-1 advantage.
The equaliser was also the first goal conceded by Vozinha at the tournament after his outstanding display against Spain had turned him into one of the early stories of the World Cup.
Cape Verde, however, refused to retreat. Coach Bubista introduced fresh legs shortly before the hour mark and the move paid immediate dividends. Substitute Helio Varela seized upon a loose pass from Mathias Olivera, lifted the ball beyond an advancing Muslera and calmly guided it into the empty net to restore parity.
The goal reignited the contest. Jamiro Monteiro came close to putting Cape Verde back in front with a powerful effort from distance, while Uruguay pressed in search of a winner. Their best opportunity fell to Canobbio in the dying moments, but the forward blasted over the bar after being played through on goal.
At the final whistle, Cape Verde's players headed straight towards their supporters, who celebrated another result that few would have predicted before the tournament. Holding Spain was one thing. Backing it up against Uruguay suggested this is no longer merely a feel-good story but a side capable of troubling some of the biggest names in world football.
FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | Football News
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha had a special guest in the stands for Sunday's World Cup clash against Uruguay after his mother, Evora, finally made the trip to the United States to watch her son on football's biggest stage.
The 40-year-old had spoken emotionally after Cape Verde's draw against Spain earlier this week, revealing that his mother had been unable to attend because of visa issues. A social media campaign to raise funds for her travel gathered momentum in the days that followed and eventually helped bring her to Miami, where television cameras frequently picked her out in the crowd.
Her presence coincided with another memorable evening for the Blue Sharks, who recovered from a goal down to secure a 2-2 draw against Uruguay and move to two points from their opening two Group H matches.
Cape Verde arrived with confidence after frustrating Spain and they showed little sign of nerves against the South Americans. Their reward came in the 21st minute when Kevin Pina stepped up over a free-kick and fired a low effort beyond Fernando Muslera to score the country's first goal at a World Cup.
Uruguay struggled to impose themselves for large periods of the first half but found a route back into the contest just before the interval. Manuel Ugarte's header bounced off the post and fell kindly for Maxi Araujo, who nodded into an empty net in the 44th minute.
FIFA WORLD CUP 2026, URUGUAY VS CAPE VERDE HIGHLIGHTS
The momentum shifted rapidly thereafter. Deep into stoppage time, Araujo turned provider, directing Ugarte's free-kick into the path of Agustin Canobbio, who finished from close range to send Marcelo Bielsa's side into the break with a 2-1 advantage.
The equaliser was also the first goal conceded by Vozinha at the tournament after his outstanding display against Spain had turned him into one of the early stories of the World Cup.
Cape Verde, however, refused to retreat. Coach Bubista introduced fresh legs shortly before the hour mark and the move paid immediate dividends. Substitute Helio Varela seized upon a loose pass from Mathias Olivera, lifted the ball beyond an advancing Muslera and calmly guided it into the empty net to restore parity.
The goal reignited the contest. Jamiro Monteiro came close to putting Cape Verde back in front with a powerful effort from distance, while Uruguay pressed in search of a winner. Their best opportunity fell to Canobbio in the dying moments, but the forward blasted over the bar after being played through on goal.
At the final whistle, Cape Verde's players headed straight towards their supporters, who celebrated another result that few would have predicted before the tournament. Holding Spain was one thing. Backing it up against Uruguay suggested this is no longer merely a feel-good story but a side capable of troubling some of the biggest names in world football.
FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | Football News
