St. Kitts and Nevis international goalkeeper Julani Archibald was the hero for his club Birkirkara in Malta, as the towering goalkeeper came off the bench at the end of extra time to help them overcome Mosta 3-1 on penalties to reach the FA Trophy quarter-finals on Tuesday.
The Times of Malta newspaper hailed the St. Kitts Nevis international as the player that helped the team to a deserved victory, as they held the upper hand for much of the match.
Reports are that Ini Akpan, the goalkeeper for the opposing side Mosta, produced a string of fine saves as the match finished in a goalless draw after 120 minutes. But then Archibald took centerstage when he saved two penalties to help his team fend off Mosta’s resistance. The report said Archibald, who came on a minute from time, was Birkirkara’s hero as he saved Rafael Morisco and Will Donkin’s penalties after Johann Bezzina fired wide as his team won 3-1 in the shoot-out.
Julani Archibald has been playing as St. Kitts and Nevis International first-choice goalkeeper for several years including in World Cup qualifiers in 2021. He has been playing in the Maltese League since 2021 for Santa Lucia and was recently signed on loan by Birkirkara until the end of the season.