Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha, a standout performer in the recent World Cup, has had a new species of sea slug named after him in recognition of his "prominent role" in the tournament. The 40-year-old shot-stopper was instrumental in his country's unexpected run to the last-32 stage, where they were narrowly defeated by Argentina in extra time.
During the competition, Vozinha achieved notable success, including keeping clean sheets against Spain and Saudi Arabia. He made a total of 18 saves throughout the tournament and outperformed his expected goals against metric by 0.9. His performances have since garnered significant attention, transforming him into a cult figure.
Spanish researcher Jesus Ortea is credited with naming the new species. His published work, "Historias de la Biodiversidad" (Biodiversity Stories), details the discovery. The newly identified species is a small, red sea slug, which was previously unknown to scientists. It has been officially designated as Aldisa vozinhai, a name that translates to "Vozinha's sea slug."
The Aldisa vozinhai was found in the waters near Cuba and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. Ortea explained that the naming was intended to honor Vozinha's significant contribution to his team's World Cup campaign. He further noted that the slug's red coloration serves as a reminder of Vozinha's performance against Spain, a team known for their red kits and the nickname "La Roja."
Ortea also expressed gratitude to the people of Cape Verde. He received the Medal of Environmental Merit in 2023 for his research on marine biodiversity in the region, and naming the sea slug is seen as a reciprocal gesture.
This is not the first time Ortea has named a newly discovered species after a footballer. In 2019, he identified a small marine sea snail and named it in honor of former Real Madrid and Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
Vozinha's global recognition has surged since the World Cup. His Instagram following, which stood at 50,000 before the tournament's opening match against Spain, where he made seven crucial saves, has since grown to over 28.6 million.
Vozinha has had a varied career, playing for clubs in Cape Verde, Moldova, Slovakia, Cyprus, and Portugal's second division. He has earned 91 caps for the Cape Verde national team.