YMO FC shot stopper Nuan Theart’s name will forever be etched in the history of Safa Cape Town’s Third Division.
One can even go as far as saying the heroics of the 23-year-old, who saved a penalty in each of his first three matches for his new club, has now earned him the tag of the ‘Penalty King’ in the league!
Needless to say, this feat will probably never be matched anytime soon – especially not in the cutthroat Graveyard League – or even in leagues higher for that matter.
Theart, the middle child out of three brothers, has saved kicks from the spot against Goal50 United (2-0), Jomos Power (1-4) and Ashford Athletic (1-3).
The irony is that YMO could only manage to win one of these matches and if it wasn’t for Theart’s fantastic goalkeeping, who knows how embarrassing the scoreline could have been. His record over three matches shows that he conceded only six goals but this could easily have been 15-20 if it wasn’t for his heroics.
According to the brave blondie who is also a graduate of the Farouk Abrahams Goalkeeping Academy (FAGA), it’s all got to do with psychology.
“Most of the time I use my instinct just before the kicker takes the penalty but I base it off on how the kicker takes all their shots during the game and if it’s late on in the game, like a penalty,” Theart explained to No Bones with Jones. “But it also depends on if I’m playing with the wind or against it as that is also a crucial factor,” he added.
Theart, who started his career at Table View FC, is well-travelled and has gained valuable experience after he’d been on the books of clubs like FN Rangers, Santos, Norway Parks, as well as Hanover Park.
So, it is fair to say that this exemplary last line of defence has a bright future and it’s only a matter of time before pro clubs come knocking!
But for now, Theart is the keeper to beat in the league – at least from 12 yards (11 meters) away.
