Cape Verdean goalkeeper João Vozinha has yet to debut for Colo Colo. The keeper was on the bench in the Superclásico against Universidad de Chile, after completing the conditioning period that followed his signing with the Cacique in early August. He arrived in Macul after a world-cup-making performance that turned him into a celebrity and brought him close to 30 million followers on social media. After the global tournament, he took a vacation and has remained a planet-wide focus, with every action broadcast everywhere. In short, he turned into a likable character, according to those who have been close to him at the Monumental.
In Mexico, Heraldo, one of the most prestigious media outlets in the Aztec country, speculates on the goalkeeper’s delay in debuting with the Cacique’s shirt. “Vozinha began his adventure with Colo Colo, but his adaptation to Chilean football has an unexpected obstacle. The goalkeeper from Cabo Verde is working hard to improve communication with his new teammates,” the Instagram post reads.
The main challenge highlighted is language. “Language represents one of his main challenges, as he needs to communicate with his teammates on the field,” the medium writes, without mentioning that in his early appearances he managed to get his point across in limited but intelligible Spanish. Heraldo also notes the support he has received from teammates in integrating into the squad and the country. “Javier Correa became one of his main supporters and seeks to help him integrate into the group,” the article emphasizes. In a video released by the club, the Argentine striker offers help for adaptation, teaching him words and expressions to ease communication in the locker room.
While Fernando Ortiz has declared that Vozinha will compete for the position with Gabriel Maureira, the African has a concrete opportunity to defend the albo’s goal for the first time: this Wednesday at 20:30, the Cacique will host Unión Española in the Copa Chile, a match that could serve as the long-awaited debut. The particularity is that the fixture will be played at the Estadio Nacional, as the Monumental’s pitch is undergoing repairs to be ready for the season’s final stretch.
The delay is not due to physical problems or a lack of confidence from the coach, but to the language barrier that, according to Heraldo, remains an unexpected obstacle for the Cabo Verdean goalkeeper. With the support of teammates like Correa and the chance to debut in the Copa Chile, Vozinha hopes to overcome this hurdle and show his quality before the Cacique’s fans.
