It is hard to list the best penalty-saving goalkeepers on the African continent currently without mentioning Fiacre Ntwari.
The agile Rwandan shot-stopper plies his trade in the
Having played just two games for his team TS Galaxy, the 24-year-old has already hit the limelight by saving four penalties and propelling his club to the semi-finals of the Telkom Cup.
ALSO READ: Ntwari's heroics propel TS Galaxy to
Born on
His love for the game later led him to the capital,
While in
Playing for APR's junior team "Intare FC," he kept putting in the hard work and soon, his talent began to be noticed by the national team's technical bench.
Ntwari has a rare story, having been called up on the senior national team while playing in the second division.
"I got my first Amavubi call up in the 2017/2018 season while I was playing for Intare FC in the 2nd division. I was very happy for that call up," he says.
ALSO READ: Players Abroad: Ntwari saves TS Galaxy again in
His breakthrough at club level came in 2018 when he moved to Marines FC on a loan deal. While at the club, he got more playing time and managed to showcase his skills which earned him a move to AS Kigali.
Since then, things started to change for the youngster as a few years later he would even get a deal outside of
Saving penalties
Ntwari considers saving penalties talent from God. He says he has been confident in penalty shootouts since his early days in academies and U20 teams. The unique skill has become one of his big assets.
"Since I was young in academies or U20 teams, I used to save penalties. Until now, I'm confident when it comes to penalties," he says.
As a goalkeeper, he has faced many attackers but he points out Beninese striker
"Against
Talking about the best defenders he has had in front of him as a goalkeeper, he noted that the AS Kigali centre back pair of Latif Bishira and Ally Kwitonda was a reliable one.
"They get the job done and communicate very well on the pitch," he says.
Copyright 2023 The New Times. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)., source