David Atanga defends Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi amid criticism

KV Oostende forward David Atanga has defended Lawrence Ati-Zigi amidst the ongoing criticism directed at the St Gallen goalkeeper.

Ati-Zigi, who has been under scrutiny for his performances with the Ghana national team, has found support in Atanga, who maintains that his former teammate is a skilled goalkeeper.

Atanga advises fans against judging Ati-Zigi solely based on

Read full articlestatistics, arguing that they do not accurately reflect the goalkeeper's true abilities and contributions.

In an interview with Mothers FM, Atanga stated, "Ati-Zigi has faced a lot of criticism from certain football enthusiasts. Many have labeled him as a below-par goalkeeper. The truth is, Ati-Zigi is not a poor goalkeeper. Even the best goalkeepers in the world, such as Manuel Neuer, have off days and make mistakes occasionally."

"I encourage anyone who doubts his goalkeeping abilities to observe him at his club, and after watching him play, you can determine whether he is good or not. We should not rely solely on statistics to form our opinions."

He continued, "A goalkeeper may concede goals during a match but still make numerous saves. We were teammates at Salzburg, and he was almost converted into an outfield player. Ati-Zigi is an excellent goalkeeper; there is just immense pressure when representing Ghana. In our recent matches against Mali and the Central African Republic, our defenders did not perform well, and the blame fell on the goalkeeper."

Ati-Zigi has been Ghana's first-choice goalkeeper since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, briefly losing his position to Richard Ofori during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, but he has since regained his place.