Manchester United’s new Cameroonian Andre Onana will hope to cement himself as one of the great African goalkeepers in the English Premier League. Picture: Shaun Roy, BackpagePix
Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana looks set to be Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper next season. He will have big shoes to fill as he will succeed David de Gea, a man who at his prime was regarded as United’s best player and the best goalkeeper in the world.
Africa has not been short of having footballers in almost every position at the best clubs in the world. However, the Premier League has certainly been short of African goalkeepers though a few did make the cut.
We look at the greatest African goalkeepers to have played in the Premier League.
It must be noted that no South African has played as a goalkeeper in the Premier League during the modern era. While Bafana Bafana legend Andre Arendse had a spell with Fulham, his appearances for the club were while it was in the second-tier of English football.
The former Ghana national team number one was not the most consistent of shot-stoppers but could pull out a quality performance on his day. This was perhaps why Birmingham City, Wigan Athetic and Blackpool saw value in him. Kingson is best remembered for being a member of Ghana’s 2006 and 2010 World Cup squads. In 2010, he also helped Ghana reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.
For many years, African goalkeepers were overlooked for Premier League opportunities. Mendy proved that keepers from the continent are indeed capable as he played a starring role in helping Chelsea win the 2021 Champions League through a challenging period for the club.
After losing his position as Blues first-choice keeper to the man he initially dispatched, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Mendy has since joined Saudi club Al-Ahli. Overall, his two-and-a-half-year spell at Stamford Bridge was a success.
The English-born former Nigerian international had an interesting career. He spent his entire professional career on the books of Wolverhampton Wanderers, in between several loan spells and watching the club yo-yo between the Premier League, Championship, and even a season in League One.
After being diagnosed with acute leukemia in 2017, Ikeme opted to retire from professional football the following year at the age of 32.
The controversial Durban-born Zimbabwean is the most successful player from Africa to have kept goal in the English top-flight. Sadly, his legacy has been hurt by allegations of match fixing and bad sportsmanship which even included an assault on former Liverpool teammate Steve McManaman during a Merseyside derby in the 1993/94 season.
The eccentric former shot-stopper kept goal for the Reds between 1981-1994. Grobelaar later took to coaching in South Africa which included stints with the likes of Hellenic and SuperSport United.
In 2001, while coaching Hellenic, he brought himself onto the pitch, in the process becoming the oldest player to have played in the South African top flight, aged 44.
This record eventually went on to be broken by Bafana Bafana legend Andre Arendse. Arendse served as an emergency stand-in goalkeeper at Bidvest Wits in 2012 as the club had no first-team goalies available due to injuries and suspension.