It’s a howler former Pompey keeperJosh Oluwayemi would love to forget
‘What an absolute catastrophe’, ‘Goodness me’. They’re just some of the words used in commentary for the goalkeeping blunder that is sure to haunt former Pompey keeper Josh Oluwayemi for the rest of career.
No doubt, others on social media might use a few other choice words to describe the howler produced by the keeper in Wellington Phoenix’s 5-0 hammering at the hands of rivals Auckland FC in the A-League on Saturday.
And if that is the case, then Oluwayemi might be best advised to turn his phone off for the forseeable at least given the now viral nature of his costly, calamity moment!
Former Pompey keeper Josh Oluwayemiplaceholder image
Former Pompey keeper Josh Oluwayemi | Getty Images
Josh Oluwayemi howler caught on camera
So what happened?, I hear you ask. Well, if you haven’t seen it already, prepare yourself to be left flabbergasted.
When Auckland’s Jake Girdwood-Reicho hoofed the ball forward with an almighty swing of his right foot from the edge of his own penalty area on 24 minutes, no-one watching on TV would have anticipated the end result. That is not until the next bit of footage captures Oluwayemi well off his line and with a decision to make as the ball descends from the skies.
Given the fact that the keeper is well outside his own box, catching the ball is not an option. As a result, maybe some quick backtracking might rescue the developing situation, calmly taking the ball down on his chest, or opting for a strong defensive header to clear his lines could prevent total disaster from happening.
Instead, though, the 24-year-old headed the ball backwards into his own unguarded net - much to the joy of the visiting Auckland fans to Wellington’s Sky Stadium and to the disbelief of team-mates, coaching staff, home supporters and, erm, the rest of the world for that matter!
As you’d expect, the unfortunate Oluwayemi didn’t know where to look as the enormity of his gaffe began to sink in. It was, therefore, only right that he was substituted at half-time, after concededing another three goals before the break - including Auckland’s fourth that could also be atrributed to a mistake by the former Pompey and Spurs stopper.
Replacement Alby Kelly-Heald fared much better in the second half, with the keeper conceding just the one goal as the visitors eventually ran out 5-0 winners.
Yet, Oluwayemi’s substitution at half-time didn’t end the drama. Immediately after the final whistle, manager Giancarlo Italiano resigned.
‘To lose 5-0 at home with the season still to play for is unacceptable and I take full responsibility,’ he said in his post-match press conference.
‘The worst thing to do is to lose to these guys. I’m not a big fan of Auckland, I don’t like the way they do things, but you can’t lose to rivals like that.
‘It’s unacceptable anywhere in the world.
‘Whatever excuse you can throw, it’s unacceptable. I think in the interest of the club now, it’s better to bring in someone with a bit more energy that can redirect the group, maybe refocus them, and keep the season alive.’
Oluwayemi, who joined Pompey from Spurs in the summer of 2022 and left in February 2024 after just nine appearances, was making his first outing for Wellington after sitting out his side’s past eight games through injury.
He’s in his second season with Phoenix after joning them from Finnish side Lahti in 2024.
The keeper is yet to record a cleansheet in his 10 games this season.
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