Rowen Fernandez
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| Rowen Fernandez | ||
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rowen Fernandez | |
| Date of birth | February 28, 1978 (age 29) | |
| Place of birth | Springs, South Africa | |
| Height | 1.86 m | |
| Nickname | Spider | |
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Kaizer Chiefs | |
| Number | 1 | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| -2001 2001- |
Wits University Kaizer Chiefs |
? (?) 137 (2) |
| National team2 | ||
| 2004- | South Africa | 7 |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Rowen Fernandez (born February 28, 1978 in Springs, Gauteng) is a South African football (soccer) player who plays as a Goalkeeper for Kaizer Chiefs in the Premier Soccer League and South Africa. He is widely considered as one of the country's best goalkeepers at present and an important member of the Kaizer Chiefs lineup, known for his ability to save penalties and his accurate goal kicks.
Rowen Fernandez was signed from Wits University along with midfielder Stanton Fredericks following a great season with The Students. Rowen was to be an understudy to Brian Baloyi who was on the verge of landing a lucrative contract in Europe.
Fernandez initially struggled to break into the first team, as Baloyi put up solid performances week in and week out. The big break finally came, or so he thought, when he made his debut Vodacom Challenge against Ghanaian side Hearts of Oak at Royal Bafokeng Stadium on June 30, 2001. Chiefs won the game 2-0. He made his PSL debut for Chiefs in a 2-1 win against Classic on August 22, 2001.
Rowen, who has an amazing love for creepy crawlies (snakes and spiders), was hospitalized in April 2003 after he was bitten by one of his spiders. He had also battled to command a first team place in the same season and only got a run in the 5-0 ABSA Cup first round victory against Sporting at Ellis Park.
However, the 2003-04 season started off very well for Fernandez who is currently at the top of his game and was handed the number one jersey as Baloyi struggled with a niggling injury.
The former national under-23 star began his playing career at Benoni amateur side Benoni Northerns before joining Wits where he caught the eye of the under-23 selectors. He has six under-23 caps under his belt.
He made his full international debut in a 2-0 win against Tunisia in August 2004. He has since been capped 7 times and has, alongside Calvin Marlin and Moeneeb Josephs, a high probability of participating at the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be held in South Africa.
Since the start of the 2006/2007 season he has already found the back of the net twice. He kicked his way into the history books in February 2007 when he pounced on the rebound, after Brian Baloyi of Mamelodi Sundowns could only parry his retaken spot kick and knocked the ball home from close range. The fact that Rowen had missed the kick and scored on the rebound meant that his thirty second minute equalizer against Sundowns is not classified as a penalty, but instead it is recorded as a goal scored from open play. [1]
The other goal resulted from a spot kick in a match against his former club Wits in September 2006. [2]
He has also been tipped of joining an overseas-based club when his contract with Kaizer Chiefs expires in June 2007. English Premiership side Middlesbrough as well as Championship sides Coventry City and Stoke City are reported to be interested in getting the player's signature.[3]
| Kaizer Chiefs - Current Squad |
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|
1 Fernandez | 2 Tau | 4 Nzama | 6 McCarthy | 7 Motaung Jr | 8 Nengomasha | 9 Djiehoua | 10 Nkosi | 11 Ngobese | 12 Mooki | 13 Obua | 16 Baron | 17 Bartlett | 18 Zwane | 20 Agyemang | 21 Mayo | 22 Kilambe | 24 Mathebula | 25 Schalkwyk | 27 Sibeko | 28 Spencer | 30 Wuest | 31 Radebe | 32 Khune | 33 Mototo | 44 Mkhonza |
