Manchester City youngster Gavin Bazunu had the performance of his young career for Ireland as his side rescued a draw in the dying embers of Tuesday's World Cup Qualifier.
Bazunu had already announced himself as an exciting goalkeeping prospect last Wednesday with a solid performance where he made an outstanding penalty save against Cristiano Ronaldo, who would eventually grab two late goals to snatch a deserved point away from Ireland.
The 19-year-old followed that strong performance up with an even more special outing in front of home fans at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Despite Serbia peppering Bazunu's goal with eleven shots on target, the young Dubliner could only be beaten by a well-placed header from Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, a player who has been linked to some of Europe's biggest clubs. Otherwise, Bazunu stood imperious in the net, defying expectations in delivering a performance well beyond his years.
Unfortunately for Ireland, their chances of qualifying look slim and they will likely not be heading to the World Cup once again. Yet, there has been cause for optimism among Ireland fans, who are encouraged by a young side led by Bazunu and Norwich striker Adam Idah which could be primed to make a serious attempt at qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
In addition, City fans will also take great encouragement from the performances of Bazunu, who is currently on loan to League One side Portsmouth.
Fans took to Twitter to react to Bazunu's performance, with some suggesting he could be a long-term replacement for City stalwart Ederson.
Here is what some of the fans had to say:
@PaulJus43564325 : "I don't know if he's playing the game of his life, but Man City look to have gem of a keeper in Bazunu!!"
@DeanoD92 : "City can sell Ederson tomorrow because in Bazunu they are going to have a top top keeper"
@SaltanPepe : "Ireland have found their new Shay Given, this kid is unbelievable, City have their Ederson replacement already on their books. Bazunu."
@tom_coyle97 : "Man City missing out having Bazunu out on loan — What a keeper."
@TJ932O : "Goalkeeper is something we always forget, especially when talking about future investments/academy prospects. City are absolutely sorted in that regard with Bazunu and Trafford."
Fans have taken notice of the young shot-stopper, with some claiming City are primed to receive offers from clubs higher than League One in January for Bazunu, with supporters suggesting that Bazunu testing himself at a higher level is an essential next step in his young career.
If today's fixture was anything to go by, it will not be long until we see Bazunu consistently performing at the highest level of club and international football.
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