Three local coaches Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum, Samuel Boadu and Ibrahim Tanko have safely arrived in Abu Dhabi, Qatar on working attachment.
The trio touched down in the Arab country on Wednesday morning and was welcomed by the Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku.
The trip will give them an opportunity to pick useful lessons from the biggest global showpiece and learn from the Black Stars Technical team.
Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum, is a former Premier League winner with Asante Kotoko and currently works as an Assistant Coach of the Black Galaxies.
Samuel Boadu is also a former Premier League and FA Cup winner with Hearts of Oak while Ibrahim Tanko managed the Black Meteors.
Assistant Black Starlets coach Ignatius Osei Fosu is expected to join the rest of the coaches later today.
The move forms part of strategies designed by the Ministry and the GFA to enhance the capacity of Ghanaian Coaches and to equip them with the modern trends of football.
Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum and Samuel Boadu have been selected on the basis of their success with Asante Kotoko (League winner) and Accra Hearts of Oak (MTN FA Cup winner) last season.
For Ibrahim Tanko and Ignatius Osei Fosu, they were selected due to their role as Technical Instructors for the Technical Directorate of the Ghana Football Association.
Black Stars. who are the lowest-ranked team at the tournament have been drawn in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.
🎥 Three local coaches (Narteh-Ogum, Boadu, Tanko) arrived this morning in Doha on working attachment.
Former Asante Kotoko Ibrahim Imoro has won his first silverware with Sudanese side Al Hilal SC after joining the club ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Al Hilal beat Ahli Khartoum in the final of the Sudanese Cup on Monday night to hand the left-back his maiden silverware at the club.
Imoro was named in the starting line-up for the game and played the entire game.
With both sides failing to find the back of the net at the of the regular time, the game then headed to a penalty shootout with Al Hilal emerging victorious.
Ahli Khartoum missed two of their five penalties while Al Hilal scored four to secure a 4-2 victory.
Imoro will look to add more trophies to his cabinet as the season unfolds with the league and other competitions also at hand.
Champions Asante Kotoko would aim to continue with their fine start to the season when they take on Legon Cities on Matchday 7 of the betPawa Premier League on Wednesday. The Porcupine Warriors who are on a two-match winning run have been in scintillating form since their loss to Bechem United.
Asante Kotoko came from behind to beat FC Samartex 2-1 in Kumasi before their 1-0 win over Medeama SC in Tarkwa on Saturday. The Reds have accumulated 13 points in the League and sit in second place – two points behind table toppers Accra Lions who are on 15 points from six League matches.
They come up against Legon Cities who have lost one and won two of their last three matches on the road. The Royals beat Tamale City (1-0) and Real Tamale United (1-0) before picking up a narrow loss to Aduana FC on Matchday 5. They have always been a torn in the flesh of Asante Kotoko – as they beat them 3-0 at the Baba Yara Sports stadium last season.
The match will be live on StarTimes Adepa channel 247.
Meanwhile League leaders Accra Lions have a date with Accra Hearts of Oak at the Accra Sports stadium on Thursday. Accra Lions have yet to lose a game since their opening day defeat to Kotoku Royals at the Cape Coast stadium and will prove a stiffer competition for the Phobians on Thursday.
Lions have beaten Tamale City, Nsoatreman, Karela United, Dreams FC and Bechem United in the run up to the match against the former League champions. Accra Heats of Oak ended their winning run to Karela United following a massive resurgence that earned them two straight wins against Bibiani Gold Stars and Kotoku Royals before settling for a draw with Karela United on Sunday.
In other matches, two former champions Aduana FC and Berekum Chelsea will battle things out at the Nana Agyemang Badu Park while debutants Nsoatreman FC and Tamale City fight for honours at Nana Kromansah Park.
Fresh from their 0-0 draw against Accra Hearts of Oak, Karela United will face off with King Faisal at the Crosby Awuah Memorial Park at Aiyinase. Great Olympics would aim for the points against Real Tamale United at the Accra Sports stadium fresh from their 2-0 loss to Legon Cities as Kotoku Royals lock horns with FC Samartex in Cape Coast.
The Western derby to look forward to will take place at DUN’s Park at Bibiani where Gold Stars host Medeama SC. The fixture between Dreams FC and Bechem Unitec will wrap things up at the theatre of Dreams on Wednesday, November 16, 2022.
Ghana coach Otto Addo is demanding intelligent football from Black Stars players at the World Cup, believing that it will be critical to their progress out of Group H, dubbed the “Group of Death.”
Richarlison Scores As Brazil Beat Ghana 3-0 In An International Friendly – In Pics
In an interview with FIFA, Addo admitted that they will face tough opponents, but that they have the talent to exploit their weaknesses and achieve the desired results in Qatar.
Ghana’s World Cup campaign will start on November 24 against Portugal. Four days later, they will face South Korea, the only Asian team to reach the semi-finals, before concluding against Uruguay on December 2.
“We’re going up against three strong opponents and we could lose all three games or win all three,” Otto Addo said.
“It’s up to us and how we adapt to their playing style, how we stop them, how we work together as a team. We need to play intelligent football, exploit our opponents’ weaknesses and bring our own strengths to the fore.”
Black Stars have 23 players camp in Abu Dhabi with the other three Joseph Aidoo, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Alexander Djiku expected to join them later on Tuesday.
Black Stars will hold their first training on Tuesday evening for the friendly against Switzerland on Thursday morning.
The major controversy surrounding the 26-man squad announced by coach Otto Addo for the 2022 World Cup on Monday, November 14, 2022, is the exclusion of Joseph Paintsil and Jeffery Schlupp.
When quizzed by journalists on why he omitted two of Ghana’s most in-form players from the squad, Otto Addo offered a rather evasive response which did little to let Ghanaians know why the Genk winger and Crystal Palace midfielder will not play a part in Ghana’s campaign at the World Cup.
“They know why they are not in the squad; it is very difficult to understand why they are not in the squad, this one I know very well but it’s not good to talk about the player and it goes back and forth like that,” Otto Addo stated.
He added, “we had a talk between us and they know the reason so I don’t want to go inside that but you know my principles and you have to abide by it.”
With Joseph Paintsil polling 6 goals and 6 assists in 14 games in the Belgian league and Schlupp managing 14 games in the Premier League, coach Otto Addo’s decision to drop them from the squad is strange considering the others who were picked ahead of them.
GhanaWeb thus decided to dig into the possible non-footballing reasons for their exclusion and it birthed some interesting answers.
GhanaWeb uncovered during its query that the decision not to include the duo in the squad was taken months before the provisional World Cup was released.
Joseph Paintsil
The winger and his entourage might have seen this coming after he was left out of the Ghana squad for the friendly games against Brazil and Nicaragua in September.
When explaining why he denied Paintsil a place in the squad, Otto Addo said “Joseph [Painstil] is doing very well. It would have been good for him to play the Japan and Chile games to show more of himself but he had problems and decided to leave the team,” he noted.
“Also, he wanted to start with his team [Genk], this one I can I understand. Surely I can just judge what I see.
Information reaching GhanaWeb indicates that Joseph Paintsil who was initially part of the squad for the AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Central African Republic and the Kirin Cup pulled out of the Kirin Cup to focus on his club career.
Reports show that Joseph Paintsil through a letter from his club sought permission from Otto Addo to return to the club and continue his journey to full fitness as he was returning from an injury and use the pre-season games to stake a claim for regular football.
Otto Addo granted him the permission but was surprised to learn that instead of being with his club for pre-season, the winger was rather in Ghana. A video of Joseph Paintsil playing football with colleagues in Ghana made its way to Otto Addo and the coach is reported to have been livid and disappointed with that development.
According to our sources, that was when Joseph Painstsil’s World Cup dream ended as Otto Addo believed that he was not honest with him.
However, a source close to the player explains that Paintsil was in the country for a charity project and not on vacation.
As published by GhanaWeb on June 15, 2022, Paintsil only made a donation to his boyhood club Fadama Ajax and the said video was from a charity event.
Osei Palmer’s allegation
Osei Kwaku Palmer, a rival of Kurt Okraku for the GFA president position continues to allege that Paintsil who is a product of Tema Youth was dropped due to his association with the club.
GhanaWeb’s findings indicate that there is no merit in these allegations as the decision to drop Paintsil was the sole move by Otto Addo.
Jeffery Schlupp
After more than a year out, Jeffery Schlupp returned to the Ghana team, earning a place in the 55-man provisional for the World Cup.
GhanaWeb sources, however, show that the inclusion of the Crystal Palace man in the 55-man squad was a mere formality as Otto Addo had already cast the die on him.
GhanaWeb is informed that Otto Addo removed Schlupp from his plans after the midfielder failed to honor the invitation for the games against Brazil and Nicaragua despite multiple meetings with Otto Addo and members of the technical team.
In these meetings, Otto Addo is reported to have exhaustively explained to Schlupp why he will need in his team and wanted to try the said tactical approach against Brazil but Schlupp turned down the call-up.
Meanwhile, Schlupp’s camp vehemently denies the information, arguing that the only time the player was officially handed an invitation was after the Brazil-Nicaragua friendlies.
They explain that the player who had given up on playing for Ghana, reversed his decision after Otto Addo personally spoke to him and assured him that the reasons for which he did not want to play for Ghana any longer will be addressed and that he will be getting starting spots in his preferred position.
They were, however, shocked when Otto Addo called to tell the player that he will be left out of the squad because there are others in his position who are better than him.
Injured Black Stars goalkeeper Jojo Wollacott is expected to join the Black Stars team in Qatar for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Wollacott was excluded from Ghana’s final 26-man squad list for the global showpiece following a finger injury he suffered over the weekend during a warm-up exercise of Charlton Athletic’s English League One game against Burton Albion.
Wollacott, who has been capped 11 times for Ghana, is set to undergo surgery this week. Charlton Athletic manager Ben Garner in an interview with the club’s official website revealed that Wollacott will be part of Ghana’s team in Qatar after undergoing a surgery this week.
“Everyone at the club is bitterly disappointed for Jojo. He played such an important part in Ghana getting to the World Cup and we all know how much he was looking forward to it. For the injury to happen so close to the tournament and in such innocuous fashion is very cruel,” Ben Garner said
“My understanding is that following surgery he will still meet up with the Ghana squad and remain a key member of their travelling party.”
“Knowing Jojo as I do he will respond to this setback with great maturity and a determination to come back even stronger. I think the world of him both as a person and as a player. It goes without saying that Jojo will receive our full love, care and support throughout this coming period.”
The Black Stars’ squad numbers for the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 have been confirmed.
The 26 players who were announced by head coach Otto Addo on Monday have hit camp in preparation for a final pre-tournament friendly against Switzerland scheduled for Thursday, November 17.
As hinted in Monday’s squad announcement, goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi has been designated the number one jersey.
New boys Tariq Lamptey and Mohammed Salisu will wear the No.2 and 4 shirts just as they did on their debuts against Brazil last September likewise Iñaki Williams sticking with No.19.
Home-based duo Danlad Ibrahim (Asante Kotoko) and Daniel Afriyie Barnieh (Hearts of Oak) have also been handed the No. 12 and 13 shirts respectively.
Uncapped duo Abdul Samed Salis and Kamal Sowah will also be donning jerseys No. 21 and 24 during the World Cup tournament.
Ghana will start their campaign against Portugal on November 24 with fixtures against South Korea and Uruguay to follow in the group stage.
Check out 26 members of the Black Stars squad, their designated numbers and shirt names for the 2022 World Cup below:
Hearts of Oak forward Daniel Afriyie Barnieh has described his selection in Ghana’s World Cup final squad as a dream come true.
Barnieh, who been instrumental for the Phobians was included in the 26-man squad for the mundial released on Monday and will compete in his first World Cup with the Black Stars.
The Black Meteors captain was among the two-home based players to have made Coach Otto Addo’s final 26-man squad for the tournament.
Afriyie-Barnieh was with his teammates and coach when the squad was announced and according to him, his inclusion in the final squad lists for the tournament is a dream come true.
“It’s a dream come true. I think four years ago, I watched the World Cup behind television and this time is my turn so it’s a dream come true”
“I am very happy because it’s a big platform and the biggest stage for every player on this earth dream to be part of a team to participate in the World Cup. so I’m feeling very great and happy for this call up” he said.
Ghana will open their campaign against Portugal on November 24 at Stadium 974 in Doha.
Ghana will be hoping to progress from the group stage at this year’s tournament.
Former Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah is optimistic Ghana can qualify out of its World Cup group.
The Black Stars entered into the competition this year as the least ranked country by FIFA.
Ghana will face European giants Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea in the group stage and have been tipped to exit the tournament in the first round.
Appiah, a member of the Ghana’s first World Cup squad in Germany 2006 which reached the round of 16 after beating Czech Republic and the USA said the team is capable of causing an upset at this year’s tournament despite being considered as underdogs in the group.
Speaking on the team’s chances ahead of the tournament, Stephen Appiah said, “It’s going to be difficult, 2006 when we went to the World Cup in Germany we were underdogs”, Appiah tells Al Jazeera.
“We played against Italy we lost our first game and beat Czech Republic 2-0 who were number two in the world, played USA, number 5 in the world, we beat them. We are capable of doing that. We have to take it game after game”.
Appiah added: “We play Portugal and not thinking about Uruguay. We concentrate on Portugal game and see what will happen. Our players are good”.
Ghana will play Portugal on November 24 in its first game before taking on South Korea and the epic clash against Uruguay.
Strikers will always claim the plaudits – that’s a fact of nature. But while putting the ball into the net is widely considered the most difficult thing to do on a football pitch, keeping it out is just as important.
The foundation of any trophy-winning side starts with the odd man out, the man wearing a different strip and clunky gloves, the man standing between the sticks getting balls pelted at him for an hour and a half.
Holders of one of the most vital positions on the pitch and pivotal to their respective nations’ successes, here’s a look at the 30 best goalkeepers in World Cup history.
1. Enrique Ballestrero – Uruguay
We start with the first-ever World Cup-winning goalkeeper.
Enrique Ballestrero only played 19 times for Uruguay, earning his second cap with a clean sheet against Peru in the country’s first-ever World Cup game. The goalkeeper went on to play all four of their matches throughout the competition as the host nation won the inaugural World Cup.
2. Gianpiero Combi – Italy
Four years later, Italian goalkeeper Gianpiero Combi lifted the Jules Rimet trophy having almost retired months before the 1934 World Cup kicked off.
The then 31-year-old Italian great had been overtaken in I Azzurri’s pecking order by young Inter goalkeeper Carlo Ceresoli, who tragically broke his arm saving a shot prior to the tournament. In stepped Combi once again, to deliver a goalkeeping masterclass as he captained Italy to their first World Cup title.
3. Aldo Olivieri – Italy
The Italians would go on to earn a second successive World Cup triumph in 1938, helped between the sticks by Aldo Olivieri.
The goalkeeper featured in every minute of his country’s triumphant campaign, as I Azzurri saw off Norway, France, Brazil and fellow finalists Hungary to achieve success.
4. Roque Maspoli – Uruguay
The Second World War resulted in the absence of the World Cup for a 12-year period. When it returned in 1950, it was once again the Uruguayans that ran out victors.
Roque Maspoli donned the gloves for three of his country’s four matches throughout the tournament – earning a clean sheet in an 8-0 thumping of Bolivia – and played his part during the 2-1 win over Brazil in the final, which remains the most attended football match in history.
5. Antonio Carbajal – Mexico
Antonio Carbajal is not a World Cup winner, but he’s certainly a World Cup legend.
Alongside Lothar Matthaus and Rafael Marquez (not terrible company, is it?), the Mexican goalkeeper is the only player to have featured in a whopping five World Cup tournaments. Carbajal featured for his country in every edition of the competition from 1950 and 1966, captaining the side in 1958 and 1962.
6. Toni Turek – West Germany
A quarter of Toni Turek’s caps for West Germany came in his sole World Cup participation, in 1954.
He played in all but one of his country’s six fixtures throughout the tournament (the one he didn’t play in, they lost 8-3) and was pivotal in West Germany’s victorious run to the final, where they avenged that aforementioned hammering by beating Hungary to win the World Cup for the first time.
7. Harry Gregg – Northern Ireland
The late, great Harry Gregg’s international career might be overshadowed by that of Pat Jennings, but the former goalkeeping star hit heights that few Northern Irishmen have ever managed.
The former Manchester United shot-stopper was a crucial component in his country’s qualification to the 1958 World Cup and was subsequently voted the tournament’s best goalkeeper, proving pivotal in his country’s best-ever major tournament finish as the squad reached the quarter-final stage.
8. Gilmar – Brazil
The great Gilmar earned 93 caps over his international career and featured at three World Cups.
He came out victorious in two of those campaigns, playing every minute of Brazil’s matches in the 1958 and 1962 editions and keeping six clean sheets in the process as he picked up two winner’s medals.
9. Gordon Banks – England
“What a save, Gordon Banks!”
One of the greatest goalkeepers to have ever lived, Banks will forever be remembered for what is widely regarded as the greatest save of all time to deny Pele another World Cup goal in 1970.
The England icon, however, will have probably remembered the events of 1966 a little better as he was part of the only Three Lions squad to have ever earned the title of world champions, keeping four clean sheets as he played every minute of that triumphant tournament.
10. Lev Yashin – USSR
The only goalkeeper to have won a Ballon d’Or, Lev Yashin is undoubtedly one of the greatest footballers to have never lifted the World Cup.
Playing his international football in a less-than-spectacular Soviet Union side, Yashin did make it to the quarter-final stages of the 1958 and 1962 World Cups before reaching the competition’s final four in 1966, but could never go all the way.
Even so, his gravitas in the game and the respect he earned resulted in the World Cup’s Golden Glove award being named the Lev Yashin Award between the years of 1994 and 2006.
11. Felix – Brazil
Brazil won their third World Cup title in four editions of the competition in 1970, and goalkeeper Felix was present for every second of his country’s barnstorming campaign.
The Brazilians maintained a 100% record right the way through, overcoming the likes of then-holders England and Uruguay before seeing off Italy in the final, as Felix became the second first-choice Brazilian goalkeeper to lift the Jules Rimet trophy.
12. Sepp Maier – West Germany
Legendary Bayern Munich and West Germany goalkeeper Sepp Maier played an impressive 18 times in World Cup tournaments and became a world champion with his nation in 1974.
The one-time German Footballer of the Year recipient was crucial to his country’s triumphant campaign in 1974, keeping four clean sheets before helping the Germans overcome a Johan Cruyff-inspired Netherlands side in the final.
13. Ubaldo Fillol – Argentina
The Netherlands were once again heartbroken runners-up four years later, as Argentina won their maiden World Cup at the expense of the men in orange.
Goalkeeper Ubaldo Fillol was pivotal in that success, crucially keeping three clean sheets in the tournament’s second group stage to push past Brazil and reach the final, where they got the better of Die Oranje.
14. Dino Zoff – Italy
Iconic number one Dino Zoff appears in most lists whose titles contain the words ‘top’ and ‘goalkeepers’ – this one is no different.
The brilliant Italian played 112 times for his country and featured at three World Cups, finally being able to call himself a world champion in 1982 after two disappointing campaigns in 1974 and 1978 respectively.
He won football’s top prize in Spain as his country’s skipper, as well; in the process, he became the oldest player and captain in a World Cup final at the age of 40 years and 133 days.
15. Nery Pumpido – Argentina
Having spent the entirety of the 1982 World Cup on the substitutes’ bench, Nery Pumpido arrived at Mexico ‘86 as Argentina’s first-choice goalkeeper.
He demonstrated why, keeping three clean sheets for his country on the way to the showpiece final, where a Diego Maradona-led Argentina beat West Germany 3-2.
16. Walter Zenga – Argentina
Italia ‘90 will forever be prime World Cup territory – the equivalent of prime Barclays years – and, among all the sensational aesthetics and feverish passion around the tournament, there was some standout goalkeeping.
Walter Zenga, in front of his home fans, was one of the glove-wearing masterclass-givers throughout the tournament, putting in a serious shift between the sticks.
The Italian goalkeeper went 517 minutes without letting a goal into his net for the hosts, before Argentina’s semi-final equaliser brought an end to his spell of clean sheets – his record still stands in World Cup football.
17. Sergio Goycochea – Argentina
Another glorious goalkeeping performance from the 1990 World Cup came from Argentina’s shot-stopper Sergio Goycochea.
Goycochea’s titanic tale is an unlikely one; the then 26-year-old was backup at both club and international levels to a previous inductee on this list, Pumpido. Argentina’s previous World Cup-winning goalkeeper, however, broke his leg in his country’s second group-stage match against the USSR, paving the way for Goycochea to come into the spotlight – and boy, did he.
The backup keeper was eventually voted Italia ‘90’s goalkeeper of the tournament and was named in the All-Star Team, for a run that included three clean sheets and penalty shootout heroics before a World Cup final defeat.
18. Bodo Illgner – West Germany/Germany
That loss was at the hands of West Germany, who would pick up their third World Cup title at Italia ‘90.
Bodo Illgner was key to that triumph, proving an impenetrable adversary to most who came up against him. It was his antics that made him England’s public enemy number one in the Three Lions’ semi-final shootout heartbreak before he kept a clean sheet in the final as West Germany got their revenge on Argentina for their World Cup final defeat four years prior.
19. Claudio Taffarel – Brazil
102-time capped Brazilian goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel experienced World Cup heartbreak in 1990, with a round of 16 dumping, and again in 1998, losing out to France in the final.
Between those tournaments, however, came his glory moment on the international stage, as he helped his country to their fourth World Cup title, keeping five clean sheets throughout the tournament in the USA and coming out on top in a penalty shootout final.
20. Michel Preud’homme – Belgium
The 1994 World Cup goalkeeping accolades did not belong to Claudio Tafarel, however.
Voted into the tournament’s All-Star Team and receiving the Lev Yashin Award was, in fact, iconic Belgian shot-stopper Michel Preud’homme, for his stunning goalkeeping performances as he helped his country to the knockout stages of the tournament.
21. Fabien Barthez – France
With a kissable bald head and awe-inspiring athleticism and intelligence that rendered his diminutive goalkeeping stature irrelevant, Fabien Barthez is undeniably one of France’s greatest-ever goalkeepers.
In his first major tournament as his country’s first-choice goalkeeper, Barthez kept five clean sheets to help Les Bleus maintain a 100% record on home soil in 1998, culminating in a stunning 3-0 victory over Brazil in the final to earn France’s first World Cup title.
22. Marcos – Brazil
When you think of great 21st-century Brazilian goalkeepers, you’d predominantly picture Dida; but the fourth and most recent starring goalkeeper to win a World Cup with Brazil is Marcos, the country’s first-choice in South Korea and Japan 20 years ago.
Only capped 27 times by his country, Marcos played every minute of Brazil’s fifth triumphant World Cup campaign, keeping four clean sheets – including one in a 2-0 victory over Germany in the final.
23. Oliver Kahn – Germany
Once again, however, despite a brilliant performance, it wasn’t the victorious goalkeeper that walked away with the tournament’s award for best goalkeeper; in 2002, it went to runner-up Oliver Kahn – to be fair, you try telling him the bad news.
The legendarily terrifying guardian was, in all seriousness, terrific during the 2002 World Cup, showcasing the best of his world-class abilities as he skippered Germany to the final with five clean sheets.
24. Gianluigi Buffon – Italy
This list just wouldn’t be correct without Gianluigi Buffon in it. One of the most admired goalkeepers of all time, the giant Italian has enjoyed a glorious career both at club and international levels.
Having racked up an incomprehensible 176 caps for Italy, Buffon has featured at four of the five World Cups he has been selected for, skippering the side in Brazil in 2014.
But the highlight of his international success, of course, came in 2006 when he starred for Italy’s fourth World Cup-winning side. The goalkeeper played all of his country’s games during that campaign, keeping five clean sheets and holding his nerve as he helped Italy overcome France in a penalty shootout in the final.
25. Iker Casillas – Spain
Easily up there as one of the all-time best shot-stoppers football has ever seen, Spanish legend Iker Casillas captained Spain through its golden era.
In between the country’s two European Championship triumphs came its 2010 World Cup success. Despite a 1-0 defeat to Switzerland in the opening fixture, the Spaniards went on to claim their first World Cup title as Casillas kept five clean sheets in the remaining six games.
26. Tim Howard – United States
Tim Howard may not necessarily be one of the best goalkeepers to have ever featured on football’s greatest stage, but you could argue that he’s produced the best goalkeeping performance that that stage has ever seen.
There have been many splendid saves over the icon-filled history of the World Cup, but Howard delivered a memorable display in which he made a competition-record 15 saves against Belgium in 2014.
The Red Devils eventually inflicted a round of 16 dumping on the USA courtesy of a 2-1 extra-time win, but Howard’s history-making, 15-save performance in that match etched his name down in World Cup folklore – and ensured Belgium didn’t reach double figures, of course.
27. Manuel Neuer – Germany
A jaw-droppingly innovative and thrilling goalkeeper to watch, few have come close to Manuel Neuer over the past decade. He is hugely decorated at club level with Bayern Munich and can boast a World Cup winner’s medal to boot.
The German has been a pivotal figure for Die Mannschaft since his debut in 2009, but his crowning moment came in the summer of 2014 when he played every second of his country’s World Cup-winning campaign, keeping four clean sheets in the process.
28. Guillermo Ochoa – Mexico
While Guillermo Ochoa has never come close to achieving glory at the World Cup, he can safely claim to have captured the imagination.
A brilliant goalkeeper, his luscious locks, cat-like speed and agility, and hyperactive style of goalkeeping have made him a cult figure on the world stage. With memorable displays throughout the 2014 World Cup in particular, Ochoa will be fondly remembered in the years to come.
29. Thibaut Courtois – Belgium
One of the leaders of Belgium’s golden generation, Thibaut Courtois has been one of the world’s best goalkeepers for what feels like an eternity.
While he hasn’t enjoyed any collective success on the international stage, he can look back at his individual performance at the 2018 World Cup with pride. Although Belgium were knocked out at the semi-final stage at the hands of eventual champions France, Courtois was handed the Golden Glove Award for his phenomenal campaign and was named in the All-Star Team.
30. Hugo Lloris – France
We conclude with the most recent World Cup-winning goalkeeper – one of the stars of France’s second triumph, Hugo Lloris.
Contrary to how many perceive him, the quick-footed and agile Lloris has been an ever-dependable and sturdy presence for Les Bleus throughout his international career. He has captained the national side more times than any other player in France’s history and did so at Russia 2018, where he kept three clean sheets on the way to World Cup glory.
