Vozinha shines in his first start for Colo Colo

Vozinha’s stocks may have soared following his heroic performances under the bar for Cape Verde in the World Cup, leading to his celebrity welcome when he signed for Chile’s top side Colo Colo, but it has taken the 40-year-old nearly a month to get a start with his new side. The veteran goalkeeper finally made his first appearance for the Chilean powerhouses on Wednesday in a Copa Chile match against Unión Española.

Vozinha arrived in South America on August 2 after Colo Colo announced his signing on July 24. Paperwork issues and personal matters had delayed his arrival three times, raising concerns among fans and team officials.

Upon landing, Vozinha immediately joined training with the domestic league leaders, who currently hold a 13-point cushion over rivals Universidad de Chile.

Since his arrival, the Cape Verdean goalkeeper has been part of the squad for three matches – including last Sunday's "Superclásico" against Universidad de Chile at the National Stadium – though he remained on the bench for that fixture.

And his start on Wednesday went just as planned: Colo Colo secured the top spot in Group E after a 3–0 rout of the "Hispanos," who were eliminated from the competition. Despite a few early jitters, Vozinha settled in well between the posts and demonstrated reliability when called upon, denying the visitors a consolation goal and keeping a clean sheet in his first match.

Vozinha, though, faces stiff competition for the starting role. With regular goalkeeper Fernando De Paul out injured, 19-year-old academy product Gabriel Maureira has firmly established himself as the team's starter, earning praise for his standout performance in the "Superclásico."

Coach Fernando Ortiz made it clear that Vozinha won't be handed the starting job, emphasising that he will have to earn the starting spot on merit.