\Cape Verde Goalkeeper Vozinha Honored with Naming of Rarely Discovered Sea Slug Species\
Following his stellar World Cup performances with Cape Verde, goalkeeper Vozinha has received yet another accolade. A newly discovered sea slug species has been named in his honor.
The small red mollusc, discovered by biologist Jesus Ortea in the Caribbean, has been given the name Aldisa vozinha.
Cape Verde, the second smallest nation to reach the World Cup finals, made headlines with their impressive run in the tournament. After a thrilling extra-time defeat to Argentina in the round of 16, Vozinha’s heroics had already seen his fame explode overnight, with his Instagram following ballooning from 50,000 to 17.4 million.
Ortea, a professor emeritus at the University of Oviedo, was awarded a Medal of Merit by Cape Verde in 2023 for his work in the waters around the island nation. He revealed that he wanted to name the newly discovered species after Vozinha as a reminder of his prominent role in the tournament and pointed out that it also came against a team nicknamed La Roja – The Red One.
“The red colour of the dedicated species is a reminder of his feat,” Ortae’s report added.
Before the World Cup, Vozinha had already made headlines for his performance in a goalless draw with European champions Spain. His performance in that game saw his fame explode overnight, and his Instagram following ballooned from 50,000 to 17.4 million – more than athletes such as NFL legend Tom Brady.
It was not the first time the 75-year-old football fan had combined his passions, though. Ortae had previously named a discovery found in Costa Rica after Keylor Navas, the country’s former goalkeeper who had played for several top clubs, including Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain, and Nottingham Forest. A tiny creature with the same colors as Spanish side Sporting Gijon had also been named after the club’s former striker Quini.
