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By Neto Baptiste
National goalkeeper, Shahoi Dorsett, has his mind set on paying professionally in the United Kingdom.
The 20-year-old Antiguan who is currently with FCV International Football Academy in the UK, had an outstanding showing for the Antigua and Barbuda senior men’s team despite a two-nil loss to Honduras last Tuesday in Group A of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Speaking with Observer media, Dorsett credited his ongoing stint in the UK for his improved form and attitude towards the game, adding that he hopes to land a major contract as a professional player.
“It’s a different level so certain things I didn’t see before I left Antigua changed because I started looking at the game different and have a better mindset towards every game. Hopefully, I can get to a bigger club, a professional club in the UK,” he said.
Dorsett made 11 breathtaking saves throughout the match, one of which was a penalty in the 64th minute, as he played a major role in ensuring Antigua and Barbuda did not suffer a much bigger loss.
The goalkeeper, who turns out for FC Aston Villa on the local front, said he was mentally prepared for what he was warned would have been a tough contest.
“I had a feeling it was going to be a tough game or I knew it was going to be a tough game so I had to set my mind right and get locked in because I knew what type of game it would have been. The coach had already given me a heads up so it was going to be a lot for me to do,” he said.
Dorsett’s outstanding performance was however, not without cost as the custodian ‘dislocated’ his shoulder in the first half after diving to his right to keep out a Honduras attempt. Despite the injury, the young player opted to continue, having to receive medical attention several times throughout the match.
He said encouraging works from teammates gave him the will to carry on.
“The first time I went down, when the shoulder felt like it popped out, I told them I could carry on but the second time, the captain came he was like, you can play out the game because you’re a warrior. Sean Tomlinson, said you’re a real warrior so fight the pain and finish the game. After the penalty, it [shoulder] felt like it came back out and didn’t go back in and it was killing me so I was asking for the sub but the captain said I was having a top class performance and at the physio [Janiel Simon], every time he came out he was telling me to finish the game and that I was having a great game so I said, ok then,” Dorsett said.
Antigua and Barbuda finished at the bottom of the standings with just one point after their four Group A showings. Honduras (12 pts) and Bermuda (9 pts), advance to the next round of the qualifiers.
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