Ian’s rallying call to keepers: stop the goals
SOMETIMES the difference between winning and losing a soccer game is brave goalkeeping.
And if coach Ian Palmer is to achieve his mandate of qualifying Mthatha Bucks for the playoffs, his goalkeepers will have to come to the party, play their role of keeping goals away and hope that strikers hit the target while the defence will have to be rock solid.
As the last line of defence, Bucks goalkeepers will have to come to the party, marshal the defence well and keep opponents at bay.
Bucks travel to Richards Bay this week to play against the free-scoring log-leaders, Thanda Royal Zulu at the Mhlathuze Sports Complex on Sunday.
Amathol’amnyama shot-stopper, Ntando Nkala, who will likely start the match will have to be on top form and help the team get a positive result on the road.
This can be achieved – but Bucks goalkeeper coach Postnet Omony does not mind conceding as long as the shot-stoppers contribute towards the team’s success.
In their 19 games so far, Bucks have conceded 24 goals and scored 29 – something that is a concern for Palmer.
But most of the goals that Bucks has conceded have not been his goalkeepers’ faults.
“I think the technical team is trying to address [conceding soft goals] because in most situations, the keepers are not beaten from range but only standard situations.
“There are normally lapses in concentration in the second last line and obviously the keeper is caught one-on-one.
“So, ja we have been working on that with the technical team because as much as we have been doing well, at the end of the day when we concede, the goalkeepers are the ones we look at,” he said. Is that fair though? “Oh well, it’s football. That’s why to be a good one you have to be crazy because at the end of the day if the team concedes, you’re the one they check,” the Ugandan said.
The former Bloemfontein Celtic shot-stopper said the team’s three goalkeepers, Ntando Nkala, Siya Mngoma and Mlungisi Maranti have proved their worth when given a run.
“There’s no first choice policy where all three goalkeepers must be available at the coach’s disposal and when there are injuries, there is always an immediate replacement.
“Hopefully their work stays the same and when that happens when we’re going to the playoffs we will know that we don’t have worries in the goalkeeping department as it has been in the season with injuries,” he said.
“All three of them have given their account on their worth so I’m not worried about the goalkeepers performances whereby I need to check a keeper because all of them have shown their worth.”
Palmer has previously said to finish at least third on the log – a guaranteed playoff spot, his central defenders will have to be more tight and not concede soft goals.
“As the coach has said, we need to take it one game at a time. Every game counts differently so we don’t want to concentrate on what is happening in other people’s houses. We just want to do our best and then come the last count, we need to be around that spot [at least position three].
“We hope that the keepers will manage to keep the goals away in the last 11 games but having to chase for the playoff, as much as the priority is keeping clean sheets, their performances on the day if it can bring positive results – I will take a 2-1 win any day,” said Omony.