The goalkeeper of FC Atlantis got fired after a strange performance.
Among other things, Sammy Ndjock, who played in Rovaniemi Palloseura, was fired after suspicious mistakes. Matti Raivio / AOP
Helsinki-based Atlantis FC, playing in the second division of Finnish men’s football, lost 2-4 to Kauniainen GrIFK in an away match on Sunday. The final moments of the match aroused wonder, because the goalkeeper of the Helsinki club Sammy Ndjock failed worse once by conceding three easy goals.
Finnish music legend Visit Sundqvist named Atlantis led the match even before the last 11 minutes with a score of 2–1. Then, after the goal kick, the team’s Cameroonian keeper, who got the ball back, kicked the ball in front of the goal and gave the opponent an equaliser. In the overtime of the match, the goalkeeper missed again, making the score 2–3.
In Grankulla IFK’s last goal, Ndjock saved an easy shot directly in front of the striker.
Ndjock has played in the Cameroon national team as well as matches in the Veikkausliiga and the Turkish premier league, but such performances do not come as a complete surprise to Atlantis followers. Ndjock has previously strayed far from his goal and hit the opponent in the last moments of the game, causing the penalty that decided the victory.
After the most recent game performance, Atlantis completely lost confidence in the goalkeeper and announced having terminated this agreement.
The club didn’t make fun of it, but wrote “10 against 12” in the title of their match report. According to the report, a few friendships were broken in the locker room after the match.
– These are unpleasant things, but when trust is gone, there are no conditions for continuing cooperation, the club’s chairman Timo Kinnunen comment on the website.
Atlantis head coach Moshood Bola tells Iltalehti that there is no suspicion of intentionally losing the contract. A team dreaming of promotion could not continue with a poorly performing goalkeeper.
– We have to think about the team’s interest. If a player is not playing well enough, we have to let him go. We are working hard to get to number one and we need everyone’s input for that.
– We have no evidence of match manipulation or anything like that. All I can say is that if a player makes mistakes, we have to react to it.
Despite the loss, Atlantis kept its place as the number one in the B group, but GrIFK and Tampere United rose to equal points with the results of the round.
You can watch the goals of the match in GrIFK’s Instagram video below. If the video does not open on your device, try this link.