Fawziya to fight for name retention in Chile

Santiago (Reuters) - Chilean club Colo-Colo is seeking special approval to allow its new goalkeeper, Fousinia, to wear his nickname on his jersey when he makes his expected debut later this month, despite Chilean football regulations prohibiting such practice.

The 40-year-old Fousinia became one of the standout stories of the recent World Cup after his impressive performances with the Cape Verde national team, paving the way for his six-month transfer to Colo-Colo.

However, Chilean league regulations do not permit players to display titles or nicknames on their shirts, explicitly banning the use of titles or aliases on jerseys.

Nevertheless, the competition has seen previous exceptions approved by the Chilean National Professional Football League, and Colo-Colo hopes Fousinia, whose real name is Josemar Jose Evora Diaz, will receive similar treatment, allowing him to appear under the name he is known by globally following the World Cup.

The nickname Fousinia, which means "little grandmother" in Portuguese, dates back to his childhood. Older children gave him the moniker after he would often cry following street football matches and seek refuge at his grandparents' home, where they raised him.