Jesús Owono, the Equatorial Guinean fortress

At 22, Equatorial Guinean goalkeeper, Jesus Owono holds the reins of the Nzalang Nacional defense.

“He’s a modern goalkeeper. On the pitch, his charisma speaks for itself. I really admire his kicking game.” confides Juan Micha Obiang, the Equatoguinean coach.

With his athletic ability and his 84-meter height, the Deportivo Alavés goalkeeper is one of Africa’s most highly rated keepers along with André Onana and Edouard Mendy.

Owono has all the qualities of a talented goalkeeper. He has very good reflexes, is quick and capable of powerful and precise distribution (both with the foot and the hand) and is excellent at stopping penalties.

“I had never been classically trained and in a way that probably helped me. I had no time to think so I acted on instinct.”

This is a natural gift for the shot-stopper. He defines himself as someone with an immense curiosity about everything”, who learns about things, while having fun.

Choosing football as a profession is also a way for him to find an activity with well-defined rules that allows him to have fun while avoiding being distracted. “Football imposed a disciplined environment on and off the field for me.”

Facing Nigeria, Jesús Owono will have to deploy all his qualities in order to repel the attacks of the Super Eagles.