Adel Nefzi Into the Record Books!

On Wednesday, Club Africain Goalkeeper, Adel Nefzi, broke the record for most minutes without conceding a goal in a league matche. The record used to belong to CA goalkeeper Boubaker Zitouni who went 994 minutes without letting a goal in. Nefzi had originally passed that by 37 minutes but this weekend, he added another 90 minutes to his record in a 1-0 Club Africain win over CSS. 12 full games have elapsed since the goalkeeper has seen the ball in the back of his net. The record coincides with a string of wins for CA that is staying hot on the heels of pace setters Etoile du Sahel.

Keeping a clean sheet for 12 straight league games doesn’t happen if you don’t have a solid defense and Nefzi would be the first to tell you that. In actuality, the record is a testament to the work of the entire team when you consider CA employs a high press in which even the strikers have defensive responsibilities. When you talk about on field organization and positioning, a person who has to be mentioned is the coach, Abdelhak Ben Chikha. Besides for putting the players on the same page, the Algerian has endeared himself to the fans with his candid interviews and honest approach. More importantly, he’s getting results.

Back to Nefzi though. In the eternal debate of team selection for the national team, one of the most important and ongoing discussions is who should be our first choice keeper. Since the retirement of Ali Boumnijel, Esperance’s Hamdi Kasraoui has taken over the duties with mixed results. At the African Cup, he looked really good against Angola (a game in which he erased some certain goals) but will probably be remembered for a failed clearance that led to a goal in the elimination game against Cameroon. While he manages to have a good game here and there, his contribution to the National Team has left something to be desired.

Right about now you’re probably thinking that I’m going to suggest we put Adel Nefzi in goal. My pick actually goes to Aymen Balbouli of Etoile who has shown me time and time again that he is the man for the job. While he’s not as tall as Hamdi, he has had a lot more experience in big games with his Etoile (African Champions League, Club World Cup). He’s a lot more vocal than Hamdi and just seems to be more sure of his interventions. With that said, I think Nefzi should get a game in the next months just to see what he’s truly capable of when he doesn’t have the benefit of a team that trains together daily defending his goal. To his credit, he’s the type of keeper that isn’t spectacular but that doesn’t make many stupid mistakes. I like those guys a lot more than the ones who make unbelievable saves but then let in fluke goals that belong on blooper reels.

Congratulations to Adel Nefzi and Club Afrcain on the record and hopefully they continue to build on it.