Australia Fiji Football Incorporated (AuFFI) All Stars goalkeeper Hayden Durose says Fiji has a high calibre of consistent goalkeepers who are not easy to score against.
Speaking to FijiLive the former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper who featured at the 2022 Pacific Community Cup in Nadi said Fijian goalkeepers are very active and have a strong sense of stopping skills.
“The overall tournament was awesome for us.”
“We didn’t make it into the preliminary rounds but it was amazing to see the teams that qualified.”
“There’s a big difference in goalkeeping I have seen from where I come from.”
“Most of the goalkeepers in Fiji are tall and their height is an advantage for them but again they are very active.”
“In our games against the Fijian team, I felt the goalkeeper was really on stand-by and knew where the players would strike from so I feel the calibre of goalkeeper is very high.”
“One thing I’ve noticed is that they are focused on each player who has the ball at their feet and this is something we don’t see overseas.”
“Most goalkeepers in the overseas premier division focus on the ball when it’s right at the box and they turn to come out of the box but here it was quite a difference.”
“Goalkeepers keep a strong focus on who has the ball and when the shooter will explode a short which is again a very strong skill for the stoppers.”
“I’m pretty amazed to see that and how they interact with their players when the ball is in their half,” he added.
