Strikers receive much of the plaudits, but certainly the men between the posts deserve a fair shout for the immense pressure that, without a shadow of a doubt, rests on their shoulders. A mistake can mean the difference between a win and a draw, a stalemate and a defeat, and as a tournament progresses, whether one lifts the title or has to settle for a runners-up berth.
So, with that in mind, who are some of the key shot-stoppers who could have a big tournament this summer? Let's have a look.
1. Andre Onana, Cameroon
He's only 23, but the Ajax-based goalkeeper deservedly won massive plaudits this season for the huge part he played in the Dutch outfit's amazing run to the Champions League semi-finals this season. As a result of his excellent work, Onana earned himself a spot in the 2018/2019 Eredivisie Team of the Year as well as clinched both the African Goalkeeper of the Year and the Cameroonian Footballer of the Year. As reigning champions, Cameroon will face some tough competition to retain their AFCON title, but with the sure-fire hands of Onana between the posts, and with none other than former Ajax and AC Milan man Clarence Seedorf on the bench, they will certainly have confidence to handle some of the most feared strikers in world football this summer.
2. Alfred Gomis, Senegal
An impressive 64.5 per cent save record during the 2018/2019 season - and 72.7 per cent during the duration of his career - helped Alfred Gomis earn his spot on this list. At 25, he's not a veteran just yet, and in fact, his age ends up putting him at the earlier stage of his career, but has been a mainstay for Serie A side SPAL since their long-awaited promotion in the 2017/2018 term and played an instrumental role in the team at one point being inside the top four earlier on during last campaign.
SPAL ultimately finished in 13th place, but without Gomis's contributions, Leonardo Semplici's side certainly would not have pipped even the likes of teams like Fiorentina (16th) to a respectable mid-table finish.
3. Richard Ofori, Ghana
Finally, Richard Ofori may not be a player familiar to most outside of Ghana, and Africa at large, but his performances on the continent have certainly garnered attention. Despite Maritzburg United's struggles this season, Ofori remained one of the few shining brights, and notably kept consecutive clean sheets during the relegation play-offs to keep his team afloat.
In his first season, he recorded an impressive clean sheets as his side conceded only 23 goals in 30 games. This term was a lot more difficult as his team spent much of the campaign battling the drop, but nonetheless his performances have earned him a spot in Ghana's 23-man squad, and without a shadow of a doubt, he will be the Black Stars' no. 1 man in between the posts this summer.
So all, in all, what makes this group particularly deserving of a mention ahead of all the other goalkeepers who will be participating at the upcoming AFCON 2019 tournament?
One interesting fact uniting this trio is that all three are under 30. That being said, all three have proved to be decisive for their respective club sides again and again. For instance, Ofori picked up seven clean sheets in his first 11 games earlier this season, and that was all in spite of Maritzburg United earning just one measly win out of this games. The issue, clearly was that despite his efforts, his colleagues up front could not find the back of the net, meaning that valuable points were dropped time and time again.
Onana quickly established himself as one of the top talents in the business as Ajax went on to clinch a domestic double, and most significant, went all the way from the third round play-off stage to being within literally 90 minutes of the Champions League final. And finally, Gomis has rapidly grown in confidence as SPAL first arrived in Serie A two years ago and has been highly instrumental in their not just staying afloat, but thriving during this past seaseon.
Which of these three will have the biggest impact for his respective side as Cameroon look to defend their title while Senegal and Ghana look to dethrone them? Will any of them scoop up an individual prize as the best goalkeeper of AFCON 2019? We will have to wait and see.
