African Goalkeepers who won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy are a testament to the remarkable talent and contributions of African Goalkeepers in the Spanish league. Trofeo Ricardo Zamora in Spanish, is a highly esteemed football award established in 1958 by the prestigious Spanish newspaper, MARCA. The Zamora Trophy celebrates exceptional goalkeeping skills, measured by the “goals-to-games” ratio. Initially, goalkeepers needed 15 league matches in the inaugural year to qualify. Over time, the criteria evolved for competitiveness: 22 matches in 1964 and 28 matches in 1983, with a 60-minute minimum per game. However now, Leagues with 10 teams required 14 matches, 12-team leagues needed 17, and 14-team leagues set the bar at 20 matches. For 16-team leagues, the original 22-match criterion from 1964 to 1983 applies.
Zamora Trophy
The Zamora Trophy has predominantly been won by Spanish goalkeepers, with only a handful coming from leagues outside of Spain. For Instance, the award has been won 46 times by Goalkeepers from Spain, most especially GoalKeepers from Barcelona and Real Madrid winning above 10 Trophies. Also, Antonio Ramallets, Victor Valdes, and Jan Oblack hold the highest number of Awards, with each individual winning 5 Zamora Trophys each. However, African goalkeepers are increasingly been nominated for the Zamora Trophy due to their rising prominence and exceptional skills in European leagues despite only a few African GoalKeepers making it to the Top division and playing for European Top teams. Also, the notable performances of African GoalKeepers have garnered recognition, challenging the historical dominance of Spanish goalkeepers in the award. This diversity reflects the evolving landscape of football talent and underscores the global nature of the sport, where African keepers have proven their ability to compete at the highest level. Nevertheless, only two Africans have won the Award.
Jacques Songo’o
Jacques Songo’o is one of the African Goalkeepers who won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy. He made history by becoming the first African goalkeeper to clinch the prestigious Zamora Trophy in the 1996-97 season. Jacques’s outstanding performance during his tenure with Deportivo La Coruña in the Spanish league earned him this remarkable honor. This achievement not only highlighted his exceptional skills but also paved the way for other African goalkeepers in Spain to aspire for this prestigious Award. Thus, Jacques Songo’o’s trailblazing success serves as an inspiration and testament to the capabilities of African goalkeepers in the world of football even to date.
Yassine Bounou
Yassine Bounou is another African Goalkeeper name synonymous with goalkeeping excellence. The Morroco Goalkeeper achieved a historic feat by becoming the second African goalkeeper to secure the Zamora Trophy while playing for Sevilla. His remarkable accomplishment came during the 2020-21 season while he was playing for Sevilla FC. Bono Tremedous’s saves helped Sevilla win the Eupora in 2020 against Inter Milan. Notably, Yassine Bounou’s heroic saves also played a pivotal role in Morocco’s outstanding performance in the Qatar World Cup, where they made history by becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals. However. Bono Currently plays in the Saudi Arabia Pro League and his journey continues to inspire aspiring African goalkeepers worldwide. Bono winning the Zamora trophy makes him stand in the list of African Goalkeepers who won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy
Other Facts about Ricardo Zamora Trophy
- Jan Oblak is the first Goalkeeper who is not from Spain to win the Award. He won the Zamora Trophy in 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21. Jan Oblak is also the only goalkeeper to win the Award four times in a straight role and all these happened while playing for Atletico Madrid.
- The Zamora Trophy has been won by forty-six (46) GoalKeepers from Spain with a combination of 77 Zamora trophies, Five goalkeepers from Argentina with a combination of six (6) Zamora trophies, One GoalKeeper from Slovenia with a total of five (5) Zamora trophy, Thibaut Courtois the only Belgium in the list, who also won three (3) Zamora trophies, Marcel Domingo the only french who also won the Zamora trophy twice. The other Goalkeepers have all one it once each and they are from these countries which are Cameroon, Chile, Morroco, and Germany.
- Jacques Songo’o is the first African GoalKeeper to win the Award. He won the Award in 1996-97 while playing for Deportivo La Coruña.
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