‘I didn’t see the ball’ — Super Eagles target Atubolu laments costly error in Europa League semifinal
Hailed as the answer to Nigeria’s goalkeeping woes, Noah Atubolu had a disappointing end to his game against Braga
Noah Atubolu endured a night of mixed emotions as the Nigerian-eligible goalkeeper went from hero to villain in SC Freiburg’s 2-1 Europa League semi-final first-leg defeat to Sporting Braga.
The 23-year-old Nigerian-born goalkeeper admitted frustration after his late mistake gifted Braga a dramatic winner.
Penalty heroics undone by stoppage-time blunder
Atubolu initially looked set to be Freiburg’s saviour after producing a stunning penalty save in first-half stoppage time to deny Rodrigo Zalazar and keep the scores level.
The save further enhanced his growing reputation as a specialist from the spot, having already set a Bundesliga record for consecutive penalties saved earlier this season.
However, his excellent display unravelled in devastating fashion deep into added time when he spilled a routine shot into the path of substitute Mario Dorgeles, who converted the rebound to hand Braga victory.
Atubolu explains what went wrong
Speaking after the match, Atubolu expressed disbelief at the nature of the late goal and explained that his vision had been obstructed in the crucial moment.
“To concede such an unnecessary goal is just incomprehensible,” he said, explaining, “One problem is that I didn’t see the ball clearly.”
The goalkeeper added that defender Philipp Lienhart’s positioning may have blocked his view, leaving him reacting instinctively rather than cleanly.
Despite the painful error, Atubolu insisted Freiburg remain firmly in the tie ahead of next week’s second leg in Germany.
With Nigeria still monitoring his international future, the highly rated shot-stopper will hope to respond strongly and show his resilience on the European stage.