World Cup hero Vozinha now out of favour in club football, and he has lost his peace

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha became a star overnight after holding Spain at bay at the World Cup. But that fame has taken away his personal peace, and the 40-year-old is still struggling to settle at his new club, Chile's Colo-Colo.

Vozinha's full name is Josimar Jose Evora Dias. He moved to Chile in July. He played a key role in Cape Verde's historic World Cup run. In their debut match at the tournament, the tiny African island nation held Spain to a goalless draw. After reaching the last 32, they fought Lionel Messi's Argentina into extra time before finally going out.

Before that match against Spain in Atlanta, Vozinha was a largely unknown goalkeeper. His career had been spent at relatively obscure clubs in Portugal, Cyprus and Slovakia. Before turning professional, he worked as a cleaner. He also taught beach volleyball alongside football.

Everything changed after he kept a clean sheet against Spain. His Instagram following rose from 50,000 to several million within a few hours. It now stands at 27.5 million, while his homeland Cape Verde has a population of just over 500,000.

He could not hold back tears after the Spain match, moved by his and his team's historic achievement, and by the regret that he could not have his mother in the World Cup stands.

After the World Cup he joined Colo-Colo in the Chilean capital Santiago. Before his debut for one of Chile's most successful clubs, he was welcomed in front of thousands of fans at the Estadio Monumental amid fireworks. Global brands such as Adidas, Pepsi and Red Bull chose him as the face of advertising campaigns. He recently attended the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London, finishing sixth in the vote for the best men's goalkeeper of the year.

But on the pitch he has yet to live up to expectations. Vozinha, who played in Portugal's second division last season, had appeared in only five of Colo-Colo's possible 14 matches by the start of November.

The club, which won the Copa Libertadores in 1991, is close to the Chilean league title again this season, and has a chance to play in South America's most prestigious club competition next season. But Vozinha's place in the starting eleven is not assured, and he is likely to be a substitute again in this week's match.

He does not want to think about his future just yet. "I came here with the aim of playing in the Libertadores. But at this moment my focus is on this week. This could be an important time for Colo-Colo. Only after that will my future be decided. I'm not thinking about that now," he told reporters.

Life has completely changed for Vozinha since the World Cup. Playing for a new club in a new country has brought him extraordinary fame, but he has lost the normal freedom of his personal life. "I have lost my peace and comfort. There is no personal space like before. When I go out, or to a restaurant, someone wants a photo or an autograph. Sometimes they film me from hiding," he told British newspaper The Observer.

In his first few weeks in Chile, Vozinha regularly visited a bakery in the upmarket Vitacura area of Santiago. The bakery's manager, Gustavo Casin, told the AFP news agency that Vozinha could talk to people there, which he enjoyed. Over a morning croissant he would talk about his country Cape Verde, though they rarely discussed football.

That ordinary past life now feels like a distant memory to him. In his words: "Honestly, if I were asked to choose between today's life and my previous life, I would choose the previous one."

Chilean media are now discussing whether Vozinha will still be at Colo-Colo in 2027. He joined the club on a six-month contract, with the chance of a one-year extension if he meets a condition of playing a specified number of matches.

He is also facing criticism over his performances. Former Chile captain and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has questioned his ability. The former Barcelona and Manchester City goalkeeper believes Vozinha has made several mistakes in reading situations and taking decisions.

Bravo said: "In situations that require coordination, he has made several mistakes. And if there is no coordination, success is never possible."

Vozinha has only a few matches left before his contract ends. If he cannot prove himself in those games, his chapter at Colo-Colo may come to an end.