Five Legendary Goalkeepers Who Deserve More Recognition
Goalkeepers are the unsung heroes of a football match. They are a breed apart from other players. Being the crucial line of defense between victory and loss, goalkeepers are often forgotten when things are going well. They are, however, singled out and held responsible when they make a rare mistake leading to a goal.
Goalkeepers are also at a strong risk of injury since their job involves diving at the opponent's feet to collect the ball. They are responsible for maintaining and organizing the defense. But despite their immense contribution to the game, they often do not receive the credit they deserve.
This article aims to highlight the remarkable career and achievements of five of the best lesser-known goalkeeping legends who deserve more recognition.
#5 Mohammed Al-Deayea - Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Al-Deayea can easily be considered the best goalkeeper in Asia. He was a dynamic player and an agile shot-stopper. Al-Deayea was the goalkeeper of the Saudi Arabian team that famously won the 1989 FIFA Under-17 World Cup. This is an incredible achievement considering the fact that Saudi Arabia had no national team until 1976.
Al Deayea lived up to his potential and starred for his country in four World Cups. His heroics in the penalty shootout in the final of the 1996 Asian Cup made him a fan favorite back home. He won the Gulf Cup twice and the Arab Nations Cup once with Saudi Arabia. He was also a serial winner with his club side Al-Hilal.
Mohammed Al Deayea
#SaudiArabia #WorldCup 1994 1998 2002
#PaniniFIFAWorldCup https://t.co/MQWlRUV1yv
Al-Deayea was a talented handball player, and he initially wanted to be a professional handball player. His brother Abdullah Al-Deayea convinced him to play football instead of handball. In the beginning, he found it difficult to fill in the shoes of his brother Abdullah, who was also a very talented goalkeeper.
However, he did not let anybody down and went on to become one of the most decorated footballers in Asia. He was voted Asia's Goalkeeper of the Century in 1999 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.
Mohammed Al Deayea
20 June, 1994 https://t.co/mx1P4ravI5
#4 Andoni Zubizarreta - Spain
Andoni Zubizarreta is perhaps one of Spain's greatest goalkeepers of all time. He had a successful spell with the Spanish clubs Alaves, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia CF, and most importantly - FC Barcelona.
In his prime, Andoni Zubizarreta was arguably the best goalkeeper in the world. He was, without a doubt, Barcelona's most successful goalkeeper of all time. He was a natural leader. He constantly kept on instructing his teammates about how to play and who to pass. He organized the back-line effectively, and his presence solved Barcelona's defensive problems.
Perhaps the most outstanding achievement of his career was winning the 1992 European Cup with Barcelona. He was a rock-solid shot-stopper at the back while Barcelona under Johan Cryuff dazzled the crowd with their immersive total football.
Under Johan Cryuff's total-football revolution, he demanded a more increased role of the goalkeeper in the game. Despite being a fantastic shot-stopper, he was not a great passer of the ball. This led to a falling out with the coach, eventually leading to his departure from the club.
He went on to become Sporting Director of Barcelona and later Olympique de Marseille.
Olympique de Marseille thanks Andoni Zubizarreta for the last 4 years 🔵⚪️
⚪️🔵 Happy birthday to our Sporting Director, Andoni Zubizarreta! https://t.co/wRfjTsyqET