Vozinha finally debuts for Colo Colo after three-week wait, only to find the goalkeeper job already taken

Nearly three weeks of waiting to finally get on the field. That's what Vozinha had to endure before stepping onto a pitch for the first time in a Colo Colo jersey, something that finally happened on Wednesday in the Copa Chile against Union Espanola.

The goalkeeper's real name is Josimar Evora Dias, he is 40 years old, and he became one of the most talked about figures of the last World Cup thanks to his performances for the Cape Verde national team. That recent history meant his arrival in Chile was followed closely, though the process ended up taking longer than expected.

Colo Colo announced his signing on July 24, but paperwork issues and personal matters pushed back his arrival on three separate occasions. He finally landed in South America on August 2 and immediately joined training with the leaders of Chilean soccer, who currently sit 13 points clear of their fierce rival, Universidad de Chile.

Since then, the Cape Verdean keeper has been included in the squad for three matches, including last Sunday's Superclasico against the U at the Estadio Nacional, though on that occasion he stayed on the bench without playing a minute.

Wide open competition between the posts

The starting job is not a given. With Fernando De Paul out injured, the man who has earned the role is Gabriel Maureira, a 19-year-old goalkeeper who came up through the club's youth ranks and has drawn praise for his performance in that very Superclasico. Coach Fernando Ortiz made clear that Vozinha's arrival does not change the way he hands out starting spots.

It's going to be a great competition between Vozinha, Gabriel and the others we have here. A big name is not going to change how I think; whoever earns it is going to play.Fernando Ortiz

The coach said those words in a press conference before Vozinha had even set foot in Chile, so the message was clear from day one: nobody gets in here just on reputation.

From Portugal to the World Cup, and then to fame

Before joining Colo Colo, Vozinha wrapped up his stint at Chaves, in Portugal's second division. But what really put him on the map was his World Cup run: standout saves against opponents like Uruguay, champions Spain, and Messi's Argentina, the team that eventually knocked Cape Verde out in the round of 16.

That tournament changed his life off the field as well. His social media following jumped from just under 50,000 before the World Cup to more than 29 million afterward. Now, carrying that fame with him, the challenge is a different one: convincing Ortiz match by match to hand him a starting job that, for now, belongs to Maureira.