"You have to be so much better, and the opportunities must come."įor Bell, who was among the first Black goalkeepers to leave a mark on the European game when he signed for Olympique de Marseille in 1985, racism has been one of the reasons why African goalkeepers were not given prominent roles earlier in history.įor him, while African players were stereotypically valued for their physical qualities - their power, pace, and dynamism - racist assumptions were made about their mental attributes, allowing the notion of an erratic, error-prone African stopper to persist.īell told ESPN: "People thought that because they've never seen before, that it can't be. He said: " wanted someone who was experienced to come in and play straightaway, but it was difficult, because being a goalkeeper is a completely different job and there's so much more work that goes in behind it.
Senegal goalkeeper Tony Sylva featured for Monaco and Lille, and was his country's 'keeper from 1999 to 2008. 1 when they reached the World Cup quarterfinal in 2002, spent 15 years in French football with the likes of Monaco, Ajaccio, and LOSC Lille, and offers a unique perspective on why it took so long for African goalkeepers to begin to make their mark in the European game. "Those two succeeded in finding their place in Europe when there weren't that many there at the time, and we respect them for being there and opening the door for others to come." He said: "When I look back, it's impressive, as since the time of Joseph-Antoine Bell and N'Kono, it was very difficult for African goalkeepers to break through. Mendy's Senegal countryman Tony Sylva, understudy to Flavio Roma in the AS Monaco team that were defeated by Jose Mourinho's FC Porto in the 2005 final, was the next African keeper who came closest to the title.įor Sylva, the presence of role models - pioneering Cameroon goalkeepers Joseph-Antoine Bell and Thomas N'Kono - was a key reason why he believed that a career in Europe as a goalkeeper was possible as a youngster. He was almost a two-time winner, only for Liverpool to fall short against Juventus in the 1985 final. Berengui/DeFodi Images via Getty ImagesĪs far back as 37 years ago, Zimbabwe goalkeeper Grobbelaar became the first African player to feature in a European Cup final, with the Liverpool stopper influential as the Reds defeated AS Roma on penalties in 1984.
Indeed, Mendy has eight clean sheets in 11 Champions League fixtures this season to go with his 16 blanks in the Premier League.Īfrican 'keepers are few and far between in major European finals or even in European leagues, but why? Senegal's Edouard Mendy will become Africa's first goalkeeper to win a Champions League title, in its current form, if Chelsea beat Manchester City. It's an anomaly considering the sizeable contribution made by African players, and those of African origin, during the history of the competition.
The meeting between the two Premier League heavyweights at Porto's Estadio do Dragao will be the 66th final of the European showpiece tournament. The Senegal stopper could become the first African goalkeeper to win the European title in the Champions League era, with Zimbabwe's Bruce Grobbelaar winning the European Cup in 1984 with Liverpool. Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who has had an overwhelmingly positive debut season with the Blues, could write his name into football history in Saturday's Champions League final against Manchester City.
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