I’m still Hearts number one goalkeeper — Soulama

Accra Hearts of Oak’s agile goalkeeper, Soulama Abdoulaye, says he still remains the favourite of the club despite his goalkeeping blunder that caused the Phobians their defeat in their crucial Premier League encounter against Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium in May this year.

The Burkinabé, who became traumatised after his howler gave their arch rivals a 1-0 win, returned last Sunday after two months in the cooler, insisting he still remained the club’s number one goalkeeper.

Soulama told the Graphic Sports that he was officially released by the technical handlers of the team to honour an international assignment with the Burkina Faso national team contrary to speculations that he was relegated to the bench.

Soulama, who kept a clean sheet on his return last Sunday disclosed that he was part of the Stallions squad that beat Comoros 1-0 to top the Group D of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

“That incident cannot affect my job. I was absent from the team because I was with the Burkina Faso national team for the AFCON qualifiers against Comoros on June 6 and when I arrived on June 9 the coach gave me one week to rest after which I resumed training”, he told the Graphic Sports.

“If Akurugu was in the posts while I was away or even after I returned then it means that the position is not for one person”, he added.