As far back as we can remember, goalkeepers have always held a special place in the hearts of African football fans. Though without doubt, the main focus remains on those who score, yet there has always been a soft spot for those who prevent the goals from going in and swim against the tide of attack.
It, therefore, comes as no big surprise when we remember that the first person with African roots to play professional football, namely the half Ghanaian Arthur Wharton who played for Preston North End in 1886, was a goalkeeper.
The fact that he was racially bullied with little protection from the referees then, probably only helped forge the spirit of perseverance and true grit that he displayed on the field, spread to the fans in the stands and eventually got back by word of mouth, to Africa.
Fast forward to the present tense and we witness that ever since Vincent Enyeama retired from football (after his spectacular antics in Rio which elevated him to be shortlisted among the best goalkeepers in the World, and certainly the ‘numero uno’ in Africa) the deliberations as to who would replace him as Africa’s best, have raged on.
We now pick the top active goalkeepers on the continent:
Dennis Onyango of Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa):
Uganda’s Dennis Onyango, 31, has seen his stock rise remarkably in 2016 as he led South African Premier League Soccer side Mamelodi Sundowns to win the 2016 CAF Champions League.
It got better for the shot-stopper as he also led his country Uganda to qualify for their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations appearance since 1982, a feat which hasn’t gone unrecognised by the Football Federation of Uganda.
The international Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) recently ranked Onyango as the 10th best goalkeeper ahead of Petr Cech of Arsenal and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen which goes a long way to show his pedigree.
He made history when he won the CAF Player of the Year award for players based in Africa; the first goalkeeper to do so since the inception of the award.
Onyango is a fantastic shot stopper who commands his penalty area with the panache that has earned him honours with the Sundowns as the 2015-16 Goalkeeper of the season. Surely the African continent and the world will see more of Onyango in the future because he seems to get better with age, but as of today, he is the new king of the continent in-between the sticks.
Carlos Kameni of Malaga (Spain):
Cameroon has always produced great goalkeepers from years past and the list will not be complete without mentioning Carlos Kameni.
Kameni, like the proverbial wine, keeps getting better with age. He has come a long way from that scraggly teenager to one of the top goalkeepers in La Liga where he has spent more than a decade playing.
Much maligned for letting in cheeky goals, Kameni has risen to become one of the continent’s most respected goaltenders.
Very agile and with superb reflexes, he has not shown any signs of slowing down and might just be around for a few more years.
He made his debut for Cameroon as a 17-year-old and has played at two World Cups and five Africa Cup of Nations.
Aymen Mathlouti of Etoile Du Sahel (Tunisia):
Mathlouti, 32, has been a mainstay in the Tunisian national team for some time now and also a constant figure at Tunisian powerhouse Etoile Du Sahel.
Not the tallest of goalkeepers (in fact his nickname is Chubby because of his build), Mathlouti makes up with superb confidence and sharp reflexes.
He doesn’t shy away from making his voice heard to his defenders during games and he is a good communicator.
His consistency over the years has seen him captain Etoile Du Sahel and Tunisia as he will be the man to be counted upon between the sticks when the Africa Cup of Nations takes place in Gabon in January.
Itumeleng Khune of Kaiser Chiefs:
Itumeleng Khune, 29,has long been “Mr. Dependability” both for Bafana Bafana, and the Kaiser Chief’s.
Initially a defender he was converted to play in-between the sticks making his international debut against Zimbabwe in 2008. He was then selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup where he had a decent outing despite becoming the second goalkeeper to be sent off in the history of the FIFA World Cup, joining Gianluca Pagliuca who saw red in 1994.
Khune who has brilliant reflexes and also higher than normal diving skills, which make him a skilled close-shot and free-kick stopper who can hardly be beaten low. He was assigned as Bafana Captain in May 2013. In 2016, he was selected as one of South Africa’s overage players for the 2016 Summer Olympics. He arrived at the tournament as the player with the most international experience, alongside Nigeria’s Jon Obi Mikel, with 75 national team caps to his name.
Finally Khune is also known for his pin point punts that deliver the ball almost precisely where he wants often sparking the counter attack with devastating effect. Barring injury there is no doubt that he will be around for quite a while.
