Edouard Mendy has won the AFCON with Senegal. (Photo by DANIEL BELOUMOU OLOMO/AFP via Getty Images)
In a conversation with reporters after the final of the African Cup of Nations (h/t Daily Mail), Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly labelled Chelsea star Edouard Mendy the best goalkeeper in the world after his heroics against Egypt.
The Senegalese goalkeeper was the man of the moment as he conjured up two impressive saves in the penalty shootout against The Pharaohs, helping his nation clinch their first-ever AFCON title. The match was filled with several twists as Sadio Mane missed an early penalty in the seventh minute for Les Lions de la Téranga.
Mendy’s counterpart Mohamed Abou Gabal also put on an excellent performance for Egypt on the day and the ultimate showdown between the two stoppers was a legendary affair. But in the end, it was the Chelsea superstar who prevailed.
The Napoli defender was moved with excitement and joy after lifting the glorious golden AFCON trophy. He spoke highly of Edouard Mendy and his heroics on the day, after himself being a rock for his team in the heart of their defence.
‘We made it with our team and our power. Our goalkeeper is the best in the world and we win the title. We feel happy. We knew it would be hard to win the Africa Cup of Nations but today we made it. Our team deserved to win this title. We had been looking for this for a long time and now we have it. This team is magnificent.’
The former Stade Rennais ‘keeper has become an integral part of the squad ever since arriving at Stamford Bridge. He replaced Kepa Arrizabalaga and has managed to win the trust of Thomas Tuchel after being Frank Lampard’s number 1 choice. Mendy’s consistency has helped the Blues compete on a higher level across different competitions.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper played a crucial role in helping the West London club secure the UEFA Champions League last season. He is one of the foundational stones upon which the defensive setup of the Stamford Bridge outfit is built. His exceptional performance in the African Cup once again proved why he is so highly rated at the moment.
The Chelsea goalkeeper couldn’t contain his excitement as he spoke about winning the coveted trophy for the first time.
‘We are proud. We never won it before. We worked really hard to win this trophy and today we won as a group and as a country and that is why I am super proud.’
As for Chelsea, our fans would have initially been sceptical about the former Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper, Kepa, taking Mendy’s place in goal. But the Spaniard has proven his worth and his heroics in the FA Cup fixture against Plymouth Argyle has put him in a better position to challenge for the starting position once again.
Arrizabalaga and Mendy have been putting in some brilliant performances and cannot seem to put a foot wrong. With the AFCON over and the Senegal keeper rejoining the club soon, it will be interesting to see who will be a regular feature in their upcoming fixtures.
The London-based club has a packed schedule this month and will be competing in several competitions. Thomas Tuchel would be looking for all the help he can get and the recent exploits of both Kepa and Mendy would be music to the ears of Blues fans around the world.
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