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Zubikarai closes in on record

Words: ACFC Media

Tuesday 24 April 2018

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Once deputy to Manchester City and Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, Enaut Zubikarai is smashing records in Oceania football.

Zubikarai, 34, joined the Navy Blues at the start of last season and made his debut for the club in a non-competitive clash with Hyundai A-League outfit Melbourne City.

Signed for free after a short spell with Portuguese side CD Tondela, Zubikarai sought a new challenge away from the European game after seven seasons with Real Sociedad as their number two to Bravo.

Zubikarai managed 46 appearances for Real Sociedad in Spain's La Liga and featured in matches against Barcelona in which he pulled off double saves from Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.

The Ondarra-born shot-stopper spent most of his professional career deputising for Bravo and when the Chilean moved to Barcelona, he emerged as Real Sociedad's first choice until a 4-0 away defeat to Villareal.

Navy Blues team-mate Cole Peverley is in awe of the Spanish goalkeeper.

Oceania Champions League (Semis Ida)
Team Wellington 0-0 @AucklandCity_FC
Buen partido del portero visitante Eñaut Zubikarai, el ex de la Real Sociedad vuelve a dejar su porteria a 0 y ya lleva 1368' consecutivos sin encajar
Se pone 5º en las rachas más largas de imbatibilidad pic.twitter.com/pJoFrhjC48
— Jordi Agusti Bosch (@Totocompos) April 22, 2018

"I've played with a lot of top goalkeepers in my time and Zubi is probably the best of them. If Zubi doesn't win a return to professional football or end up at the Wellington Phoenix then I'll be amazed.

"If Zubi stays at Auckland City FC then thats great for us because there are not many better goalkeepers around. Its good to have a keeper behind you that you can trust," he said.

Zubikarai's list of record breaking achievements in New Zealand in keeping clean sheets in both the ISPS Handa Premiership and OFC Champions League.

Auckland City FC has kept 11 consecutive clean sheets in the OFC Champions League dating back to 15 March 2017 when they defeated Lae City Dwellers 2-0 at Centre Park, Mangere.

The Navy Blues have now gone 1043 minutes without conceding a goal in the OFC Champions League with the last player to score against Auckland City FC, James Naka, when he scored in the 37th minute of Western United's 2-1 defeat at Centre Park, Mangere, on 11 March 2017.

Enaut Zubikarai has kept goal for 998 minutes of this run, Danyon Drake played 45 minutes of the run when he came on as a substitute in the 11-0 win over Malampa Revivors on 18 March 2017.

The last player to score against Auckland City FC was Ben Wade who scored in the 72nd minute of the 1-1 draw with Southern United at Kiwitea Street, on January 13, 2018.

Auckland City FC have gone 15 matches without conceding a goal in all competitions for a total of 1,350 minutes.

Auckland City FC is undefeated in 24 OFC Champions League matches dating back to 3 May 2014 when AS Pirae defeated the Navy Blues 2-1 in the semi-final, 2nd Leg, clash at Stade Pater, Tahiti.

Auckland City FC's longest undefeated run in the OFC Champions League is 27 matches. That run started with a 1-0 win over AS Manu Ura on 28 March 2008 and ended on 31 March 2012 when Amicale defeated Auckland City FC 1-0 in Port Vila in a group stage match. The run lasted 4 years and 3 days (1,464 days total).

In 2012, Bravo was sidelined by injury but described Zubikarai's talents succinctly to media who doubted his replacement's credentials.

"I have a lot of confidence in Zubikarai - we all know what he is capable of doing, things have not been the natural way, but because of an injury, but the confidence is full within the group."

The pinnacle of Zubikarai's career came when he was picked for Real Sociedad in their UEFA Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 but it was his part in a 4-2 win over Real Madrid on 31 August 2014 that catches the eye.

What catches the eye now is just how far Zubikarai's clean sheet achievements have taken him on a personal level with Zubikarai sitting fifth in the list for all-time shut outs according to one Spanish football website.

Here is the list below:

ALL-TIME SHUT OUT RECORD - GOALKEEPERS
1. Mazaropi (Brazil) Vasco de Gama 1,816 minutes 1977-78
2. Nawaf Al-Khaldi (Kuwait) Al-Qadsia 1,453 minutes 2011-12
3. Thabet El-Batal (Egypt) National SC Cairo 1,442 minutes 1975-76
4. Danny Verlinden (Belgium) Club Brugge 1,390 minutes 1990
5. Enaut Zubikarai (Spain) Auckland City FC 1,368 minutes 2018
6. Buljubasich (Argentina) Universidad Catolica 1,352 minutes 2005
7. Thabet El-Batal (Egypt) National SC Cairo 1,325 minutes 1978-79

2017-18 - ALL COMPETITIONS (ISPS Handa Premiership/OFC Champions League*)
v Canterbury (A) won 2-0
v Easter Suburbs (A) won 2-0
v Hamilton Wanderers (A) won 1-0
v Team Wellington (H) drew 0-0
v Hawke's Bay (A) won 3-0
v Tasman United (A) won 1-0
v AS Venus (H) won 7-0
v Madang FC (H) won 5-0
v Lautoka (H) won 1-0
v Eastern Suburbs (H) won 1-0
v Wellington Phoenix (A) won 2-0
v Eastern Suburbs (H) won 4-0
v Team Wellington (H) won 1-0
v Solomon Warriors (H) won 2-0
v Team Wellington (A) drew 0-0
*For details of Auckland City FC's OFC Champions League cleansheet run see story above.