Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who was named player of the match after making seven saves in his side’s 0-0 draw against Spain, was in tears at full time. The mother of Cape Verde’s World Cup hero was not there to see history made because she could not afford the visa to the US.

The goalkeeper described the game as the moment he had been working towards his “entire life” and said he wished he could have shared the moment with his late grandparents and his mother.

In January the US government added Cape Verde to the list of countries whose citizens have to post a returnable bond of up to $15,000 (£11,200) before travelling to the US, on top of the visa fee. As a result, Vozinha’s mother was unable to complete her application. Vozinha has been Cape Verde’s No 1 for 13 years.

“I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and unfortunately they were not here; they died a few years ago,” he said. “They were everything for me, for my life. I also cried because my mum didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money we had to pay for the visa, we didn’t manage to [get it done] on time. I would like her to be here, but I’m also very happy.

“I have worked my whole life for this moment. I’m 40 years old. I started playing football professionally when I was 25, in 2012. I thought about leaving but I continued because of this dream. This is for everyone. I was named man of the match but this is for all of my teammates because without them nothing would be possible. I will continue to work for Cape Verde and for the people.

Spain, unsurprisingly, had the majority of possession but struggled to break down a well organised Cape Verde defence. Ferran Torres hit the bar in the European champions’ best chance. Everything else that was on target Vozinha stopped.

“Our best weapon is our unity. The way we treat our family is our best strength. Everyone thought we came here just to enjoy the World Cup, but we know we have a team that deserves respect. It’s our first time, but we are here to compete and to fight for our country. We will play all the games with our strategy and our coach’s tactics. We will try to do better than today’s game. I hope we can win some games and, who knows, maybe go through to the next round. I am very happy and proud of all our players.”

The Cape Verde head coach, Bubista, said: “Vozinha is overwhelmed by the emotion. He has made a huge effort to be here, and those were tears of resilience. I don’t like to talk about individuals, but he played so well. The team was calm and that helped to keep him calm.

“This means everything for the country. We’ve always said that we want the whole world to see how our team plays. We showed courage, playing in a way that is a metaphor for our country: with resilience and overcoming obstacles.”