Ace Football presents a detailed list of the best goalkeepers to have played for the Elephants.
The man standing between the posts is the defensive line’s last hope to avoid conceding a goal. Goalkeepers are usually underappreciated, with only a few achieving the same recognition as their peers in other positions.
Ivory Coast has introduced several legendary goalkeepers in their football history. So let’s take a look at the best of the best and check out the top three Ivorian keepers of all time.
Boubacar Barry
Barry started out as JMG Abidjan’s goalkeeper in the late 1990s but soon found his way into European football. A transfer to Rennes kept the Ivorian star at Ligue 1 for three years.
He then moved to Belgium in 2003, where he spent the next 16 years playing for different First Division sides. Barry’s international career started in 2000, with the former Lokeren star appearing in 82 games for the Elephants.
Barry was not Ivory Coast’s first-choice goalkeeper for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. However, an injury thrust provided a chance for the experienced goalkeeper to end his international career on a perfect note. He saved two penalties and scored one himself in the tournament’s final as the Elephants clinched their second AFCON title.
Jean Keita
Keita developed himself into ASEC Mimosas’ number one during the 1960s. His incredible reflexes and sharp passes convinced many that he was indeed the best keeper the nation had ever produced up until that point.
A role model for Ghanaian legend Robert Mensah, Keita is considered among the greatest legend in ASEC Mimosas’ history. The Ivorian legend played basketball and volleyball to improve his reflexes, something that became a trend among goalkeepers in the late 1960s.
Keita played for Mimosas from 1961 to 1972 while remaining an undisputed starter for Ivory Coast. He won six national cups and three championship titles with the Ivorian giants.
Alain Gouaméné
Another former ASEC Mimosas star, Gouamene, is the greatest Ivorian goalkeeper of all time. He played an integral role in the Elephants’ first-ever AFCON win in 1992.
Gouamene’s performance in the final penalty shootouts against Ghana secured his place among Ivory Coast’s all-time greats. He has played more than any Ivorian keeper in the AFCON, making 24 appearances in seven different tournaments.
At the club level, Goumene played for Raja Casablanca before joining Toulouse, where he spent most of his career. The Ivorian legend currently works as the manager of Africa Sports d’Abidjan.
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