Luanda Restaurant goes viral with mural of Cabo Verde star goalkeeper

Cabo Verde’s star goalkeeper is now a fixture outside one of Brockton’s beloved restaurants.

Luanda Restaurant is making waves online after unveiling a mural painted on one of its windows of Vozinha, the goalkeeper of Cabo Verde’s men’s national soccer team. Vozinha’s social media presence skyrocketed following an impressive World Cup debut in which he and the team held Spain to a scoreless draw against all odds.

Cassandra Goncalves, daughter of Luanda’s owner Amelia Goncalves, painted the mural. She said the idea for the mural came about following the team’s second group stage match against Uruguay on June 21 also ended in a draw.

“We were playing around with the idea of doing something to commemorate the team,” she said. “After Vozinha’s praise and attention became the praise and attention of Cabo Verde as a country … we just thought it would be fitting to do something.”

Videos of the mural have received tens of thousands of reactions online.

Goncalves said the goal was to have the mural ready for the team’s June 26 match against Saudi Arabia.

“Painting wise, it took me around 13 hours,” she said. “It took me much longer in general because I still had to create the artwork and then get all the supplies and materials. I was running on a really tight turnaround, so it did take me around two full days to get it done.”

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Goncalves said there’s been an outpouring of support from the community for the mural, and many have stopped by to be photographed with it.

“It’s honestly been overwhelming for me,” she said. “The reaction has been huge.”

“This is my first public artwork, so it’s been really cool to see people come to the restaurant just to take pictures with it,” she said. “It just amped everyone up.”

Goncalves said it would be really cool for the mural to catch the attention of the goalkeeper himself.

“At this moment, as it stands, it is the first public mural of Vozinha in the United States,” she said. “I think it would be a really cool thing for him to see that.”

Goncalves said it’s rewarding to take part in the moment for the Cape Verdean community and be able to see so many take pride in the country across the world.

“Before, (people) couldn’t even pick us out on the map,” she said. “Now they know our names, they know where we are … That to me brings me a lot of pride.”

Goncalves said the mural won’t be up forever, but the message will always ring true.

“It is a temporary artwork, which makes me sad,” she said, “But I think what the mural represents will live on forever.