Rowen Fernández

Rowen Fernandez ( born February 28, 1978 in Springs, Gauteng ) is a retired South African- German football goalkeeper.

Career

Fernandez began his career at Wits University. In 2001 he moved to the Kaizer Chiefs. At first he was only spare man behind Brian Baloyi. In April 2003, he was bitten by a spider and fell for the rest of the season. The following season, he benefited from an injury Baloyis. In his absence, he fought his way to the position in the goal. In 2004 and 2005 he was awarded the South African club champions. 2006 succeeded in winning the ABSA Cup.

For the 2007/08 season Fernandez was awarded a three -year contract with Arminia Bielefeld, he signed on 22 May 2007, and thus his former coach Ernst Middendorp followed in the Bundesliga. In Bielefeld, he should replace to Borussia Dortmund exchanged Marc Ziegler. His Bundesliga debut Fernandez on 24 November 2007, in the away match in Bochum (0:3). End of the season 2007/ 08 he pushed the long clive goalkeeper Mathias Hain. However, he lost due to a knee injury at the start of the next season his place to Dennis Eilhoff. Although Fernandez did not come in the long term in his first two seasons on the role of the substitute goalkeeper addition, he extended in 2009 his contract with the Arminia prematurely until 30 June 2012.

Fernandez has repeatedly registered with penalty goals in the scoresheet. In February 2007, he made ​​his first scoring play in the Premier Soccer League came when he competed in the match against Mamelodi Sundowns in a penalty kick against his former competitors Baloyi. Although this could parry his shot, the rebound turned Fernandez.

Fernandez made ​​his debut in August 2004 in the South African national team. The former youth international has played 23 international matches since then. At the 2010 World Cup in their own country Fernandez, however, was not called in favor of Itumeleng Khune, Moeneeb Josephs and Shu -Aib Walters.

In December 2010, Fernandez received the German citizenship. In January 2011, he joined the South African giants SuperSport United to Pretoria.

Achievements

• South African champion in 2004 and 2005 with the Kaizer Chiefs
• South African Cup Winners' Cup in 2006 with the Kaizer Chiefs, 2012 with the SuperSport United
• South African League Cup winner 2012 with the Vice SuperSport United

Trivia

• Fernandez ' nickname is " The Spider" (sometimes called " The Spider " or " Spider -Man "). For the name, there are two reasons: On the one meant to be experienced goalkeeper colleague in Fernandez ' first year as a pro, he looks like a spider, as he had little muscle and very long, thin arms and legs at this time, on the other hand was Fernandez after a spider bite almost died.