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| Safe Hands Nigeria's Vincent Enyeama |
Since
time immemorial goalkeepers have been the ultimate guardian of a football team.
From
Dino Zoff to Iker Casillas goalies have been revered as the last line of
defence and, occasionally, the difference between glory and despair.
Sadly,
when it comes to Africa this has not always
been the case. When Zaire were
beaten 9-0 by Yugoslavia at
the 1974 World Cup Mwamba Kazadi became the model for the idea Africa had poor keepers. That was Africa ’s
first appearance at a World Cup and over the years – with rare exceptions such
as Thomas Nkono and Joseph Antoine Bell – African keepers did little to
disprove this notion.
From
Peter Rufai’s uncertainty at the 1998 World Cup to Andre Arendse’s misfortune in
2002, the narrative that Africa had sub-standard
keepers only got stronger.
The
result was a low opinion of African keepers from the outside and little respect
for the position within Africa itself, perpetuating
a cycle whereby focus was on outfielders rather than goalkeepers.
Fortunately,
there seems to be a gradual change and in 2013 there is a different mood – a
renaissance of African goalkeepers.
With
goalkeeper coaching drastically improving and greater attention is paid on the
art, things are changing from a time when a good African keeper was the
exception rather than the norm.
The
recent Africa Cup of Nations was the real show of the continent’s goalkeeping
talent and this was in evidence again around during the weekend’s 2014 World
Cup qualifiers.
Of
course there is still the bizarre; Ethiopia’s Jamel Tassew’s kung-fu kick on Zambia’s
Chisamba Lungu being a prime example, however there’s been more than enough
evidence to suggest it’s time to end the notion that the continent has bad
goalkeepers.
The
consistently brilliant performances of South
Africa ’s Itumeleng Khune , Zambia ’s Kennedy Mweene and Nigeria ’s Vincent Enyeama in particular present
strong counter-arguments to the old clichés about Africa ’s
goalkeepers.
On
Saturday against the Central African Republic Khune was again exemplary with
his marvellous distribution and his positioning. Zambia
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| Flying Machine Bafana's Itumeleng Khune |
Enyeama,
arguably Africa’s top keeper, first made headlines in South Africa at the last World Cup for a
stunning display against Argentina
and last month he was at it again leading Nigeria
There
are still challenges in the way of Africa ’s keepers.
Many countries remain behind when it comes to goalkeeping training techniques while
keepers are often times outfield players who were pushed to the posts.
Keepers
are also generally exposed to a different type of game to leagues abroad with
more flair but less crosses and high balls pumped into the penalty area.
This
has contributed to a tendency of European clubs to underrate African
goalkeepers. At the recent Nations Cup only Togo ’s
Kosi Agassa, of Reims in France ’s
Ligue 1, was a regular starter at a club in one of Europe ’s
so-called top five leagues.
On
the other hand outfield players such from Didier Drogba to Samuel Eto’o form
the backbone of many a European club side.
As
Nkono (the only goalkeeper to have twice been elected Africa Footballer of the
Year) says it’s down to miscalculated preconceptions.
“I
am not sure if people any longer have a generally low opinion of African
goalkeepers,” says Nkono. “But I think there was time when maybe people abroad
thought in terms of Mwamba Kazadi and one bad World Cup match.”
It’s
a battle Africa keepers, such as Khune and
Mweene, face when it comes to breaking through to the highest level of the game.
Since Nkono and Bell
Goalkeeper
does remain a problem position for several of Africa ’s
top sides, but there are enough good keepers to end the stereotype of the naive
African goalkeeper.
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| Mr. Penalties Zambia's Kennedy Mweene |
It’s ok to know Africa’s stoppers for their uniqueness,
such as DRC’s Robert Kidiaba’s donkey dance which delighted at the recent
African Cup of Nations, but it should also be known that Africa
has quality keepers that can hold their own against the best in the world.
