World Cup Desk — In one of the greatest upsets in modern World Cup history, debutants Cape Verde pulled off a miraculous scoreless draw against tournament favorites Spain, courtesy of a legendary performance by their 40-year-old goalkeeper, Vozinha.
On paper, the matchup was a classic David vs. Goliath story. Spain, currently ranked 2nd in the FIFA world rankings and fresh off their Euro title, faced a West African island nation ranked 67th with a population of just around 500,000.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente opted to rest star wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams in the starting lineup. Despite their absence, Spain dominated possession and heavily bombarded the opposition territory.
However, they repeatedly ran into a brick wall named Vozinha. The 40-year-old goalkeeper turned back the clock to pull off a masterclass between the posts.
Spain registered 13 shots in the first half alone, with 4 on target. In the 38th minute, Vozinha tipped Pedri’s blistering strike over the crossbar.
Just three minutes later, Ferran Torres hit the woodwork, and Vozinha sensationally denied Mikel Oyarzabal’s rebound header.
Right before the break, he brilliantly frustrated Aymeric Laporte by tipping away a powerful header from a corner, keeping the game scoreless at halftime.
De la Fuente introduced Lamine Yamal and Mikel Merino in the 71st minute, followed by Nico Williams late in the game to break the deadlock.
While Spain threw everything forward, Cape Verde’s disciplined defense held firm, even threatening on a dangerous counter-attack in the dying minutes of the match.
Vozinha Smashes World Cup Records
With this historic clean sheet, Vozinha (aged 40 years and 12 days) officially became the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet on their World Cup debut.
Furthermore, he etched his name alongside legendary Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pat Jennings. Vozinha’s 7 crucial saves against Spain mark the second-highest number of saves made by a goalkeeper over the age of 40 in a single World Cup match, trailing only Jennings’ 10-save performance against Brazil in 1986.
Despite fielding their absolute best attack by the final whistle, the 2010 World Champions had to settle for a single point, while Cape Verde celebrated a historic, unforgettable World Cup debut.