Sentul, Bogor - Cape Verde has emerged as one of the biggest phenomena of the 2026 World Cup. This West African debutant nation has completely shifted global perception after holding two former world champions, Spain and Uruguay, in their first two Group H matches. Behind this shocking run is veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, who has suddenly exploded as a new breakout star of World Football.
When Cape Verde held Spain to a 0-0 draw in their opening match, most football public attention remained fixed on Spain. Many analysts questioned how one of Europe's strongest sides had failed to score past a team making their very first World Cup finals appearance.
This narrative shifted entirely just days later.
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Facing Uruguay, a two-time former World Cup winner, Cape Verde once again demonstrated their quality. They did not only hold firm defensively, but also scored twice to force a 2-2 draw. After this result, global attention was no longer focused on the underperformance of Spain or Uruguay — the world was now recognising that Cape Verde was a far stronger side than almost anyone had predicted.
The Cape Verde phenomenon was the central topic covered on the ITSMe Podcast, hosted by Gilang Respaty and Yatna from the ITSMe Studio in Sentul, Bogor. For this discussion, football analysts Ronny Pangemanan and Haris Pardede, also known as Bung Harpa, broke down the factors that have turned Cape Verde into one of the greatest stories of the 2026 World Cup.
According to Ronny Pangemanan, Cape Verde's success is no accident. This island nation, home to only around 520,000 people, qualified for the World Cup through a brutal qualification campaign. On their path to the finals, they competed and outperformed established African Football powerhouses including Cameroon.
For this reason, Ronny stated Cape Verde cannot be dismissed as a team relying purely on luck. They had proven their quality from the very start of qualification, and are now validating that ability on football's biggest global stage.
Meanwhile, Bung Harpa identified Cape Verde's core strengths as their disciplined tactical organisation and the unafraid mentality with which they face historically far more dominant opposition. There was no trace of inferiority when playing against either Spain or Uruguay. They competed with full belief that they rightfully belonged at the World Cup.
Behind this entire success story, one name has become the global centre of attention: Vozinha.
The veteran goalkeeper delivered an outstanding performance against Spain, registering seven critical saves. His display left Spain's attacking line completely frustrated, and was the single biggest factor behind the goalless draw that first thrust Cape Verde into international spotlight.
Remarkably, Vozinha's off-pitch backstory is just as unique. His full legal name is Josimar José Évora Dias. During the podcast discussion, it was shared that he received the name Josimar because his father was a great admirer of Brazilian footballer Yoshimar.
His nickname "Vozinha" has an even more charming origin. In Portuguese, the word literally means "Grandma". This nickname stuck to him from early childhood, because every single time he lost a football game with local friends he would run crying to complain to his grandmother.
This childhood nickname, born from running to his grandma after lost matches, is now recognised by football fans across the entire world. Vozinha's popularity skyrocketed immediately after his World Cup performances. Within just days, his social media accounts were flooded with new followers from every country, making him one of the most widely discussed figures during the entire tournament.
This breakout phenomenon has also sparked discussion about Cape Verde being an ideal future opponent for the Indonesia National Team for upcoming FIFA Matchday fixtures. Aside from their current global profile, their playing standard is judged to be an excellent benchmark test for the Garuda squad.
After two matches, they have only collected two points. But those two points have already been enough to completely rewrite how the world sees Cape Verde. Once written off as an irrelevant debutant side, they have now emerged as one of the most compelling and inspiring underdog stories of the 2026 World Cup.
