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It’s doubtful that even the most optimistic of punters would have ventured to place a prop wager at an online sports betting site on the outcome of Sunday’s GPL match between the Elmina Sharks and the Ebusua Dwarfs.

No, it wasn’t because the result was a 2-2 draw. Drawn matches happen all the time at all levels of soccer. It was how the Dwarfs fashioned the sharing of the points that was the astonishing piece of the puzzle.

Down 2-1 and with the referee checking his watch, indicating that time would soon be up, Ebusua was awarded a free kick just outside the Elmina penalty area. Sending all 10 outfield players forward, Dwarfs goalkeeper Razak Issah ran all the way up the pitch from his usual perch in front of the posts to take the free kick.

The keeper stepped up and slotted a perfect free kick, curling the ball past the wall and just inside the far post for the equalizer in the 86th minute.

An excited Issah raced across the field to celebrate his unique achievement in front of the Ebusua supporters.

Rare Achievement

Issah is only the second goalkeeper from Ghana and just the 15th African ’keeper to slot home a goal during a match.

Countryman Richard Kingson preceded him in tallying. Like Issah, it was a match-tying strike. Arguably, it was a much bigger moment in Ghanian soccer history.

Trailing Tanzania 1-0 in a 2008 international, seven minutes from time Ghana was awarded a free kick just outside the Tanzanian area. Kingson came up to help. He took up a position in the Taifa Stars' wall, rising to head home an immaculate free-kick delivered by his brother Laryea.

Former Nigerian international captain Vincent Enyeama is the African record-holder for goals by a goalkeeper. Holder of the Nigerian record of 101 caps, Enyeama played from 1999-2018. He was the regular penalty taker for Hapoel Tel Aviv and over the years with them, Enyeama potted 20 goals.

Zambian international goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene has scored 13 goals in a career that is ongoing. Like Enyeama, Mweene is captain of his country’s national side and is his nation’s most capped international, with 120 appearances. His most famous tally came in the group stages at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. Mweene scored the equalizer on a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Nigeria. One year earlier, in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, Mweene stopped a penalty and scored on one himself as Zambia won the title 1-0 over Ivory Coast via a penalty kick shootout. He also scored for Zambia at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.