Best domestic goalkeeper, Richard Attah has deservedly earn a spot in the Black Stars squad for the World Cup qualifying games coming up against South Africa and Ethiopia next month.
The Accra Hearts of Oak shot stopper is the only goalie plying his trade in Ghana to be included in the CK Akonnor’s 30-man squad for the crucial World Cup qualifying matches.
Attah, the best domestic shot stopper beat off competition from the likes of Kumasi Asante Kotoko SC first choice goalie, Razak Abalora and Kumasi King Faisal FC on loan and Ghana U20 goalkeeper Ibrahim Danlad to gain his first national team call-up post Covid-19 era.
In the Ghana Premier League season for the Rainbow Boys, the former Elmina Sharks FC goalkeeper kept 12 clean sheets in 25 matches and went on six games without picking a ball from his net in the top-flight games.
Despite a shaky start to the season by Attah, he was later able to shrug off all the disappointment and bounced back to claim his number one spot in the team and consistently showed why he is the right goalie to man the posts of the Phobians.
Since 2009, the Phobians had never won any domestic trophy and needed a little more consistency by the team to overcome their problems and win a trophy for the first time in 12 years and Attah gave them the needed stability in goal through his excellent defensive organization and his superb ball distribution prowess.
During the league season, he provided a masterclass performance in goal for the Phobians saving them from conceding from point blank situations and constantly producing a large number of saves in games to keep his team in all matches and eventually helping them to carry all three points in most matches.
The 26-year-old shot stopper conceded 15 goals in the 2020-21 Ghana Premier League season and kept 12 clean sheets making him one of the best if not the best of all the goalkeepers in the Ghana domestic leagues.
He kept the post and kept a clean sheet in the decider of the title against arch rivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko SC at the Accra Sports Stadium when his side secured a vital 1-0 home win to open a three points gap which eventually ended up to be the title clincher for the Oak Tree family for the first time in 12 years in the club’s history.
On top of the, Attah was the first choice goalkeeper for Samuel Boadu in the Cup competition as well as he took the club to the final of the 2020-21 MTN FA CUP Competition final which was contested between them and one-time winner Obuasi Ashantigold SC at the Accra Sports Stadium barely a week ago.
The game produced a fine football on display by both teams despite the lack of goals during the regulation time and throughout the extra time period which meant there could be only a winner from or through the spot kicks.
The Hearts of Oak goalkeeper saved the first penalty kick by Ashantigold captain, Amos Addai and also provided a moment of magic and a crucial save to keep Hearts in the game with Ashantigold’s 10th kick by Seth Osei which would have won the trophy for the Miners after Afutu had missed his kick earlier.
Attah, after saving the potential match winning kick took things personal as it was his turn to take the spot kick, blasted into the roof of the net straight down the middle before his opposing goalkeeper, Kofi Mensah blew his effort way over the bar to hand out the trophy to the determined Phobians.
After saving and scoring his kick to win the MTN FA Cup Competition for the Phobians, the ended their trophy drought in style by winning their sixth double as a club and ended the long wait for trophy in grand style finish to end the season.
With his stellar performances in both the Ghana Premier League and FA CUP Competition respectively, it is of no surprise that the Hearts of Oak goalkeeper, who undoubtedly performed better than all the local goalies walk into CK Akonnor’s team for their World Cup qualifying campaign.
