Vozinha reveals ‘incredible’ praise from Lionel Messi after Cape Verde goalkeeper’s heroic display against Argentina

Vozinha returns home a hero after a tournament defined by extraordinary consistency between the posts, finishing with a 78.3% save percentage from 74 shots faced.

Cape Verde defied the odds by qualifying ahead of the likes of Uruguay and Saudi Arabia before holding their own against the defending champions in a contest that will live long in the memory of their supporters.

“We played against the current world champion and today, playing on equal terms and also having the opportunity to win the game… for us, we have to be very, very satisfied and proud,” Vozinha said. “Obviously we are sad, we didn’t want our run to end here, but I am very grateful for everything. I want to thank all my teammates, everyone, the coaching staff, the federation, and all the fans who made a huge effort to come here and support us.

“And now it’s time to look to the future and see that good things are ahead for us. We have a fantastic group, players with a lot of quality, and who knows, hopefully we will see these young guys, these players, playing in the best leagues in the world.”