After winning plaudits across the globe for his World Cup performances with Cape Verde, goalkeeper João Vozinha has another honour— with a newly discovered species of sea slug being named after him.
The small red mollusc was found by biologist Jesus Ortea in Caribbean waters and he chose the name Aldisa vozinha to mark the 40‑year‑old keeper’s stellar campaign.
Cape Verde reached the World Cup knockout stages, knocking out Argentina before exiting on penalties in the last‑32. Vozinha’s heroics earned the nation its first point in a 0‑0 draw with Spain.
Ortea wrote in a research report that the species’ red colour is a nod to Vozinha’s “prominent role” and to the rival team nicknamed La Roja, “the Red One.”
Following that match, Vozinha’s fame surged overnight. His 50,000‑post Instagram account exploded to 17.4 million followers, exceeding stars like NFL legend Tom Brady.
Professor emeritus Jesus Ortea, who earned a Medal of Merit from Cape Verde in 2023 for his work in local waters, has previously named a Costa Rican find after Spanish keeper Keylor Navas and a creature resembling Spain’s Sporting Gijón after former striker Quini.
