From Super Falcons Chiamaka Nnadozie to South Africa’s Andile Dlamini, the goalkeeping department in Africa’s Women’s game is increasingly getting better and also receiving the due recognition it deserves as the game progresses every season.
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Both shot-stoppers who are our focus in this article represented their countries in the just concluded FIFA Women’s World Cup which was staged in Australia and New Zealand as they made it into the round of 16 and caused big upsets along the way.
Nnadozie who plies her trade with Paris FC in France is the first African goalkeeper to secure two clean sheets in a World Cup group stage.
Her composure and exceptional saves have drawn comparisons to legendary Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, further solidifying her status as one of Africa’s rising football stars.
A closer look at Mamelodi Sundown’s shot stopper, Andile Dlamini who sat down with CAF online in her latest spill-in interview believes the standard of goalkeeping in women’s football is on the rise in Africa.
Fresh from being instrumental in her side’s third successive qualification to the CAF Women’s Champions League after winning the regional COSAFA title without a single loss, Dlamini is looking forward to adding another continental accolade to her growing list of achievements at this year’s CAF Women’s Champions League, Cote d’Ivoire 2023.
Dlamini, who is at the peak of her career at age 31 unlike the Super Falcons captain who is much younger was speaking from the USA where South Africa faced former FIFA Women’s World Cup champions in an international friendly match on Thursday, 21 September which they lost by two goals to nil.
“I really think the standard of women’s football goalkeeping is improving in Africa. We just need more young female goalkeepers to follow in our footsteps so that our department can be even more solid” said the shot-stopper.
Voted best goalkeeper at the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2022 for keeping four clean sheets en route to Banyana Banyana first ever continental title, “Sticks” as the lanky shot-stopper is affectionately known also touched on the upcoming CAF Women’s Champions League – saying that it Sundowns with the opportunity to fight for the trophy again.
“It means the world to us as a team. We have another opportunity to go fight for the trophy, we look forward to the journey in Cote d’Ivoire”
“We play each and every game with hopes of wanting to win it. We played the CAF qualifiers hoping to win and we did. We take one game at a time and while we do so, we focus on the present. We will focus on CAF when we channel there for now, it is about getting the mindset right, converting the chances we get, and keeping a clean sheet” said Dlamini.
Sundowns were crowned African champions in the inaugural edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League held in Egypt in 2021 but surrendered their title to Morocco’s AS Far last season.
Both Sundowns and AS Far are through to the continental competition where they will headline the eight-team competition set to take place between 05 – 19 November.
For Nnadozie, she has received deserved praise with one in particular coming from Sandrine Soubeyrand, the French legend and head coach at Paris FC as quoted, “She is so talented, she is one of the main reasons why we finished third in the league last season and qualified for the Champions League.
She kept clean sheets [eight through the campaign], and she made crucial saves in key matches. She was outstanding for us and so consistent as well.”
This was back in June 2023 and Nnadozie backed that up once again through her fantastic and decisive outing in Nigeria’s 0-0 draw against Canada when she made three saves, including a Christine Sinclair penalty.
She did even better in the 3-2 win vs. Australia, despite conceding two goals. Nnadozie made six saves, including a couple of stunning ones.
Nnadozie is surely one that will keep raising the flag as well as mentoring younger generations of female goalkeepers in Africa and beyond.
