Lin Jie takes a photo with Vozinha's mother at the airport before her departure for the United States. [Photo/Tide News]
As Cape Verde's historic run to the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage captured the world's attention, a community of Wenzhou entrepreneurs living in the Atlantic island nation has quietly strengthened local ties through business, charity, and football.
Among them is Lin Jie, who has lived in Cape Verde for more than two decades. After the team's group-stage success, he visited the family of goalkeeper Josimar Jose Evora Dias, commonly known as Vozinha, helped his mother prepare for her trip to the United States to support her son, and even commissioned a mural of the national team captain in his hometown neighborhood.
"Cape Verde's heroes deserve to be seen," said Lin.
Another Wenzhou businessman, Zheng Xinwang, recently secured authorization from the Cape Verde Football Federation to produce and sell the team's official jerseys in China.
Manufactured in Yiwu, another city in Zhejiang province, the jerseys are being shipped to Cape Verde, with part of the proceeds supporting youth football, the national team, and local charitable programs.
Wenzhou merchants first arrived in Cape Verde in the 1990s, opening the country's first Chinese general stores. Today, about 1,000 people from Wenzhou live there, mainly working in trade, retail, and catering.
In 2025, local Chinese entrepreneurs established the Cape Verde Chinese Charity Foundation, which has funded disaster relief, medical outreach, and assistance for vulnerable groups. Organizers say the goal is to give back to the community while carrying forward Wenzhou's tradition of mutual support.
Their story reflects the broader relationship between China and Cape Verde, where Chinese-built infrastructure, medical assistance, and growing people-to-people exchanges have strengthened bilateral ties beyond the football pitch.
