Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha will have his mother, Ana Candida Evora, in the stands for the team’s match against Uruguay on Sunday. Evora was unable to attend the team’s opening draw against Spain due to visa issues, but was able to obtain a visa with the help of the U.S. State Department, FIFA, and U.S. lawmakers.

Vozinha’s Rise to Fame

Vozinha, whose name is Josimar José Évora Dias, has become a sensation after leading Cape Verde to a scoreless draw against Spain, one of the pre-tournament favorites to win the title. He went viral after the match with tearful comments, wishing that his late grandparents could have seen him play in the World Cup and that his mother’s visa issues had been resolved in time to be there.

Evora arrived in Miami on Friday afternoon after more than 24 hours of travel from Cape Verde and was immediately surrounded by FIFA officials and volunteers as she made her way through the airport. FIFA even hosted her briefly at the organization’s tournament headquarters in Florida over the weekend.

Team’s Focus on the Game

Despite the attention surrounding Vozinha and his mother, the team is focused on the game against Uruguay. Cape Verde forward Garry Rodrigues said, ‘It’s been intense, but as we are professionals, the game against Spain is now in the past. We’re still human. Seeing everything on the internet has been very intense. But we cannot use that as an excuse. We know our targets. We know our goals.’

Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.