Mother of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha to travel for first World Cup
Ana Candia Evora, mother of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, is travelling to the United States to watch her son play in his country's first World Cup. The family has become a symbol of diaspora support for the island nation's sporting milestone.
Ana Candia Evora, mother of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, is preparing to travel to the United States to watch her son play in his country's first World Cup. Speaking to the BBC, Evora said: 'I have waited my whole life for this moment.' Cape Verde, an island nation of about 500,000, has taken a major step in FIFA history.
The Cape Verdean diaspora, especially in the US and Europe, is running organised support campaigns for the team. Associations in Boston and Lisbon launched ticket-access programmes, and small local firms put together sponsorship bundles for the squad. Vozinha's family story has become a symbol of the diaspora-sport bond in island-nation media.
According to the football federation, Cape Verde's technical staff have built a practical, on-field model for how small countries can break into the World Cup rankings. Local-league sponsorship income has risen sharply since qualification. Vozinha told the BBC: 'This is a starting point not just for me but for the whole country.'
Read next
Iran warns of 'reciprocal action' if US fails to honour MOU commitments
Iran's foreign ministry warned of "reciprocal action" if Washington fails to honour the commitments in the preliminary US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU), Al Jazeera reported. Tehran is seeking clarity from Washington on the timing and scale of sanctions relief. Sunday's technical session in Switzerland is critical.
Israel and Hezbollah continue strikes despite formal ceasefire agreement
Russia frees 24 Filipinos after Marcos speaks with Putin in direct diplomatic call
US to field midrange missiles in Japan for joint drills amid rising China tensions
Spanish PM Sánchez's wife loses passport as court orders corruption trial
