Top African Goalie Beats Italy’s Donnarumma And Germany’s Neuer to Win FIFA Best Goalkeeper Award

• Chelsea goalie Edouard Mendy announced as the winner of the best goalkeeper in the men's game
• The Champions League winner finished ahead of Bayern Munich and Germany shot-stopper Manuel Neuer and Italy's Euro 2020 finalist Gianluigi Donnarumma
• The Senegalese stopper helped the Blues to win the Champions League and UEFA Super Cup in his first season at Stamford Bridge

Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has been crowned the best goalkeeper of 2021 by FIFA.

The Chelsea goalkeeper had an amazing year under review winning the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup with the Blues in just his first season.

According to Chelseafc.com, It was a remarkable year for Mendy in which he kept 27 clean sheets and conceded just 34 goals in 51 games overall. He only let in two goals in the Champions League knockout as Chelsea won the competition for the second time.

Mendy defeated the other two nominees in Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Germany’s Manuel Neuer to the prestigious award.

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The prize cements the 29-year-old’s place as one of the top goalkeepers in world football and crowns a remarkably rapid rise to the top of the game, having been playing in France’s lower leagues and contemplating an end to his professional career as recently as six years ago.

Edouard Mendy has now become the first African to win the Best Fifa Men's Goalkeeper award according to Goal.

Mendy joins both Chelsea Managers Thomas Tuchel and Emma Hayes who both picked up the Manager of the year awards in both the male and female categories following Chelsea's remarkable 2021 which saw the men’s team with the Champions League and the women’s team winning the domestic treble.

Robert Lewandowski beats Messi, Salah to win Best FIFA Men's Player Award

Earlier Sportsbrief reported Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski beat the likes of Lionel Messi and Mohammed Salah to scoop the Best FIFA Men’s Player Award.

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The 33-year old scooped the award for the second consecutive year after an incredible 2021 that saw him net an impressive 69 goals for club and country.

In the ceremony held in Zurich, Switzerland on Monday, January 17, the Poland international was feted after scoring 52 points, which was far better than Cristiano Ronaldo’s 38 and Lionel Messi’s 35 points.