Cape Verde Keeper's Mother's Journey Highlights Cross-Border Bond

Cape Verde on June 21 earned a 2-2 draw with Uruguay, days after holding 2010 world champions Spain to a scoreless draw. Among the spectators for the historic match was one special guest – goalkeeper Vozinha's mother, who witnessed her son's team score the country's first-ever World Cup goal.

Her appearance in the stands marked an emotional moment for the family and was made possible in part by a Chinese businessman who has spent more than two decades living in the Atlantic island nation.

Forty-year-old Vozinha, whose heroics against Spain helped turn Cape Verde into one of the biggest surprises of the tournament, has become a national hero back home. Following the opening draw, Lin, a businessman from Wenzhou in east China's Zhejiang Province, paid a visit to the goalkeeper's family, bringing flowers and chocolates to congratulate them.

A video of the visit posted by Lin on Douyin, showing celebrations inside the family home, quickly went viral, drawing millions of views and attracting journalists from several countries eager to tell the story.

Lin, 44, has lived in Cape Verde for 23 years, where he runs a building materials business while his wife owns a clothing store, he told The New Times. Over the years, he has sponsored local football clubs and charitable activities and has developed close ties with Vozinha's family. The goalkeeper and his brother once played for a club that Lin regularly supported, while one of Vozinha's cousins works in his wife's store.

In a post-match interview following Cape Verde's draw with Spain, Vozinha revealed that his mother had been unable to travel to watch his historic World Cup debut because of visa and financial constraints.

Lin said he accompanied Vozinha's mother to complete the visa photo procedures and drove her to the airport. He also presented her with a suitcase made in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province.

According to Lin, football is deeply woven into daily life in Cape Verde, where nearly every neighborhood has its own club and children can be seen playing in streets and open spaces. Despite the country's passion for the game, local players earn modest wages, with most making the equivalent of 1,000 to 2,000 yuan (US$147-295) a month and often taking multiple jobs to make ends meet.

Vozinha himself held several jobs before establishing his football career, Lin said.

"I hope more people around the world can get to know Cape Verde," he said. "And I also hope local people can better understand China. In a small way, I want to help build a bridge between the two peoples."

In a video shared online, Vozinha's mother thanked Chinese football fans in Chinese, saying that "Chinese people are friends of Cape Verde."