Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha seeks new club after World Cup stardom, doesn't rule out Brazil move

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Vozinha, one of the sensations of the World Cup, is looking for a new club.

And the 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper hasn't ruled out playing in Brazil, where fans helped him reach immediate stardom on social media.

Vozinha said in an interview with Brazilian journalist and influencer Daniel Braune that his contract with second-division Portuguese club Chaves has ended and he wants to keep playing and is keen on finding a new team following his success in the tournament in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Vozinha attracted the attention of the soccer world after an outstanding performance in Cape Verde's 0-0 draw with European champion Spain in their opener on June 15. Cape Verde then drew 2-2 with Uruguay, one of South America's soccer powerhouses.

“I ended my contract with my previous club, Deportivo Chaves, and at the moment I still don't have anything,” he said. “I'm open to everything. Let's see what comes up.”

Vozinha said he wouldn't mind playing in Brazil, the country where another influencer, Casimiro Miguel, known as Cazé, helped him go from about 50,000 Instagram followers to nearly 16 million by promoting the goalkeeper's account.

“It would be good,” Vozinha said, smiling, in the interview published in Braune’s YouTube channel. “We’ll see.”

Vozinha said he definitely wants to try to make it to Brazil, at least to visit.

“If I have the opportunity, I'd like to go, also to thank everyone for all of their support," he said. "And I think that many of my teammates want to go as well.”

Vozinha said he spent time in Brazil when his former team in Angola, Progresso do Sambizanga, did its preseason in the country.

He said his idols while growing up included Belgian goalkeeper Michel Preud'homme, Dutchman Edwin van der Sar and Gianluigi Buffon of Italy.

His dream right now is to help Cape Verde — competing in the World Cup for the first time — advance from the group stage.

A win over Saudi Arabia on Friday in Houston will be enough to secure the team a spot in the round of 32, which would spark renewed celebrations in the nation of about half a million people off Africa’s West coast.

“My dream, and the dream of all Cape Verdeans, is to reach the next round,” he said. “It's huge just to be in the World Cup, and to advance when no one thought that we could even get a point, would be extraordinary.”

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup