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Sports News of Sunday, 27 September 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Richard Kingson among greatest African goalkeepers in Premier League history

Olele played Wigan and Blackpool Olele played Wigan and Blackpool

#5 Carl Ikeme

Long-serving Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper who never signed permanently for another club despite going out on loan to eight different sides across a 15-year career.

He stepped into the shoes vacated by Vincent Enyeama to become Nigeria’s No. 1 in 2015, and went on to win 10 caps for the Super Eagles.

However, a year before the 2018 World Cup, he was diagnosed with acute leukaemia. He evaded the illness, but would never play again, missing out on Wolves’ return to the big time.

Despite his long stint with the Old Gold, he only made one Prem appearance for the Midlanders—in the 2011-12 season.

#4 Richard Kingson

Perhaps not always the most reassuring of goalkeepers, Kingson nonetheless enjoyed four years in the English game, representing Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic and, most notably, Blackpool.

He’s a legend in his homeland of Ghana, having amassed 90 caps for the Black Stars including the 2006 and 2010 World Cup campaigns.

He was also part of the side that finished runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2010.

#3 Edouard Mendy

The towering stopper is a new recruit at Stamford Bridge, having signed for Chelsea from Stade Rennais in a deal reported to be worth £22 million.

It’s a massive step up for the Senegal stopper, who was influential as Rennes qualified for the Champions League from Ligue 1 last term, but he may well be required to step into the first XI considering Kepa Arrizabalaga’s well documented troubles since arriving in West London.

Mendy has an immense presence, but is he ready to be the man to solve the Pensioners’ defensive woes?

#2 Andre Arendse

A member of South Africa’s 1996 Africa Cup of Nations-winning side, Arendse started the final in Johannesburg as Tunisia were defeated 2-0 by Clive Barker’s Nation Builders.

After beginning his career in his homeland, Arendse ultimately moved to English with Fulham and then Oxford United, before returning to South Africa.

He was a PSL winner in 2009 with SuperSport United, and subsequently moved into coaching with Bidvest Wits.

#1 Bruce Grobbelaar

Perhaps Africa’s greatest ever goalkeeper, the Zimbabwe stopper is a legend with Liverpool, with whom he was a European champion in 1984.

In fact, the Reds owed a large portion of that success to Grobbelaar, whose bandy legs in the final shootout victory over AS Roma ultimately secured the continental crown for the Merseysiders.

The stopper was past his peak by the time the Prem began, but he still represented his beloved Liverpool in the newly formed league for several seasons before moving on to Southampton.

The eccentric stopper’s time on the south coast were dogged by rumours of match fixing