his is the author’s subjective ranking.
*As it targets countries that are currently affiliated with the AFC, all players from Australia's history are included, while players from Israel and Kazakhstan are excluded from the list.
*Eligible players are those who have played in at least one international match for the national team of an AFC affiliated country.
*Most of the player photos are dry forms owned by Monk Beopjeong, a Players user. However, I created the players that Court did not create.
*The record date is as of September 5, 2023.
#15 Seigo Narazaki
Date of birth: April 15, 1976
Nationality: Japan
International match record: 77 games, 76 goals conceded / 36 clean sheets
Physical requirements: Height 187cm / Weight 80kg
Main team: Nagoya Grampus
He was one of the best goalkeepers in Japan, renowned as a rival to Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, and was famous for his witty one-on-one defense. With his excellent self-management skills, he had a long run, ranking second in total J-League appearances.
After playing for Yokohama Flügels, when the team merged with Marino, Narazaki moved to Nagoya Grampus, where he played and was selected to the J-League Best Eleven 6 times in his career, but was overshadowed by Kawaguchi in the national team and was pushed out as a backup, but at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. He earned a starting position and led his country to the round of 16 for the first time in the World Cup.
In 2010, he led Nagoya Grampus to the league title and was named J-League MVP, but lost the competition for a starting spot in the national team against Shinsei Eiji Kawashima and retired immediately after the World Cup in South Africa.
14th Lee Se-yeon
Date of birth: July 11, 1945
Nationality: Republic of Korea
A-match record: 81 games, 55 goals conceded
Physical requirements: Height 175cm
Primary team: Seoul Trust Bank Football Club
He was called the Lev Yashin of Korea as one of the best goalkeepers in the history of the unemployment league, the predecessor of the K League. He showed strength in psychological warfare and enjoyed intentional physical contact and trash talk with opposing attackers, earning him the nickname Asia's Tyrant.
In the national team, he reigned as a star along with Lee Hoe-taek and Kim Jong-nam, and achieved success by winning a gold medal in the 1970 Asian Games and finishing as runner-up in the 1972 AFC Asian Cup, but he had no connection to the World Cup, losing to Israel and Australia respectively.
Nevertheless, he reigned as one of the most popular stars of Korean soccer in the 1970s, and in 2002, he was selected as one of the best 11 goalkeepers of Korean soccer history by polling company Gallup Korea.
#13 Abdullah Aldeayea
Date of birth: December 1, 1961
Nationality: Saudi Arabia
A match record: 58 games
Physical condition: Height 182cm / Weight 75kg
Primary team: Altay
He is the older brother of Mohamed Aldeayea, the best goalkeeper in Asian soccer in the 1980s and the best goalkeeper in Saudi Arabian soccer history. Similar to his younger brother, he made a name for himself by making saves and forward defense based on agile body movements and excellent reflexes.
Abdullah Aldeayea, who won the second division title in Altay in the 1976-77 season and the first division in 1984-85, moved to Al Hilal in his later years and won the Saudi Premier League in the 1995-96 season and the Asian Cup Winners' Cup in the 1996-97 season. Won the trophy in 7 official competitions, including .
As for the national team, Aldeayea, who led his country's great leap forward in the 1980s, won both the 1984 AFC Asian Cup and the 1988 AFC Asian Cup, achieving two consecutive wins. In 1984, he was selected as the best goalkeeper of the tournament, and in 1988, he conceded 1 goal in 4 group stage games. Not only did they keep scoreless against Iran and South Korea in the tournament, but they also won in a penalty shootout in the final.
12th Hong Deok-young
Date of birth: May 5, 1926
Nationality: Republic of Korea
A-match record: 56 goals conceded in 17 games
Physical condition: Height 170cm
Main team: Chosun Textile Football Team
As Korea's first starting goalkeeper after liberation, he led the team to the quarterfinals by helping to win 5-3 against Mexico, which had often appeared in the World Cup, at the 1948 London Summer Olympics, Korea's first international soccer competition. In the quarterfinals, he was the best goalkeeper of his time. They faced Sweden, one of the teams that won the gold medal in this tournament, and lost 12-0 in a one-sided game in which they recorded 48 shots, but Hong Deok-young was the only national team player to maintain his pride with numerous saves.
At the 1954 Swiss World Cup, he was unable to board the plane on time due to poor conditions, so he took a U.S. military plane and arrived 20 hours before the game started. However, he saved numerous shots against Hungary, the world's best, and lost 9-0, but was applauded by European soccer fans.
At the time, the media expected Hungary to win 20-0 as Korea was in a rough situation with Hungary, the world's greatest soccer powerhouse at the time, less than a year after the end of the war, but they were impressed by Hong Deok-young's great performance, which prevented the team from conceding 9 goals, so they visited Switzerland. Fans treated him like a great sports star, getting autographs from him and leaving gifts at the Korean national team's dormitory.
#11 Valery Sarichev
Date of birth: January 12, 1960
Nationality: Tajikistan → South Korea
A-match record: 1 game
Physical requirements: Height 193cm / Weight 87kg
Primary team: Ilhwa Chunma (currently Seongnam FC)
His real name is Valery Sarichev, and he is a Tajikistan player who is considered one of the best goalkeepers in K-League history. According to Cha Sang-hae, a legendary striker for Pohang and the K-League's top scorer, "I definitely felt like it was a goal." The moment he was about to celebrate, he stretched out his hand and blocked it. The moment he tried to run to his teammates thinking, 'I really went in this time,' he stretched out his foot and blocked it. He even blocked a shot that was so difficult to block that he said, "I really hated it."
Torpedo of the Soviet Union's top league reigned as the league's top goalkeeper in Moscow, but left the Soviet Union during the chaos of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and joined Ilhwa. Starting with Ilhwa, he won the League Cup in 1992 and won three consecutive K-League titles from 1993 to 1995. In 1995, they won the Asian Club Championship, the predecessor to the AFC Champions League, and the following year, they won both the Asian Super Cup and the Afro-Asian Club Championship, and Shin Shin-son was also selected as one of the league's best elevens six times.
Due to Shin Shin-son's overwhelming performance, it became a trend among K-League clubs to use foreign goalkeepers, so the use of foreign goalkeepers was banned in the name of Korean goalkeeper athletics, and he had to leave the team after 1998, but two years later he qualified for naturalization and returned to Korea. After becoming a naturalized player, he changed his name to Shin's Hand, his nickname, and joined Anyang LG Cheetahs, winning the K-League title in 2000. Shin Shin-son was selected as the 2nd League Best Eleven twice by Anyang LG Cheetahs and was selected as the K-League Best Eleven 6 times in his personal career.
#10 Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi
Date of birth: August 15, 1975
Nationality: Japan
International match record: 116 games, 104 goals conceded / 50 clean sheets
Physical requirements: Height 180cm / Weight 77kg
Primary team: Yokohama Marinos
One of the best goalkeepers in Japanese soccer history, he was relatively short for a goalkeeper, but he made incredible saves based on his soft flexibility and animal-like reflexes and showed great competitive spirit.
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, who spent his prime with Yokohama Marinos and Jubilo Iwata, winning two league titles with the former club and winning the J-League Rookie of the Year award, also played as the starting goalkeeper for a long time for Samurai Blue and won two AFC Asian Cups, especially in 2004. In addition to winning the tournament in 2006, he was selected as an All-Star team player and wore the Japan national team uniform and participated from the 1998 World Cup in France to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In particular, he showed outstanding performance in the 2006 Germany World Cup even when most players were underperforming.
Through thorough self-management, he had no problems in his personal life and paid a lot of attention to taking care of his body. During the Korea-Japan game, when players from both teams became angry and tried to escalate into a physical fight, the goalkeepers of both teams, Lee Woon-jae and Kawaguchi, rushed to intervene and the situation was quickly resolved. His charisma was so great that he became famous.
9th place Eiji Kawashima
Date of birth: March 20, 1983
Nationality: Japan
International match record: 95 games, 104 goals conceded / 36 clean sheets
Physical requirements: Height 185cm / Weight 82kg
Primary team: Standard Liege
As a famous goalkeeper who led the rapid development of Japanese soccer in the 2010s, he had cool judgment and agile movements, making many saves, and as a captain, he had excellent leadership in encouraging the team. He was also thorough in self-management and always tried to maintain excellent condition. After preparing for a transfer to a European club, he was able to speak five foreign languages, excluding his native language, Japanese.
Kawashima, who enjoyed his first heyday at Kawasaki Frontale of the J-League and made it to the J-League Best Eleven in 2009, enjoyed his heyday at Liesere in Belgium based on his performance in the World Cup, contributing to the team's stay in the first division for two consecutive years. He won the team's Player of the Year award and performed excellently even after transferring to Standard Liege.
Kawashima, who has been the starting goalkeeper for Samurai Blues for a long time, has shown outstanding performance over a long period of time, helping his country advance to the round of 16 at the 2010 South Africa World Cup and the 2018 Russia World Cup, and leading his country to victory at the 2011 Asian Cup.
8th place Kim Byeong-ji
Date of birth: May 12, 1970
Nationality: Republic of Korea
A-match record: 61 games, 72 goals conceded
Physical requirements: Height 184cm / Weight 77kg
Primary team: Ulsan Hyundai Tigers
Along with his rival Lee Woon-jae, he was considered the best goalkeeper in Korea and not only had excellent saving skills, but he also drove the ball and led the build-up, which was rare at the time. This style was sometimes used as an excuse for conceding goals, so there were mixed opinions, but Kim Byeong-ji showed good performance for the most part due to his excellent self-management skills.
Although South Korea was unable to find replacements for Choi In-young and Kim Poong-ju for a long time, they emerged like a comet and played in the Tokyo match, which was an Asian qualifier and Korea-Japan match, and took a starting position in the 1998 World Cup in France. Although most of the national team players performed below expectations, Kim Byung-ji was an excellent player. Due to their performance, they received praise from Netherlands national team coach Guus Hiddink, saying, "We could have scored more goals, but Korea's goalkeeper was too good to score more goals." However, due to coach Hiddink, he was pushed out of the national team competition by Lee Woon-jae, watched the Korea-Japan World Cup from the bench, and was later pushed to the national team as a backup.
His footprints in the K-League are remarkable, and although he only won the league once (with Ulsan in 1996), he appeared in 706 games, the most appearances in the K-League, and recorded the most clean sheets in the K-League with 229 clean sheets. He played in 153 consecutive games without a replacement, boasting the highest record in the K-League, and also holds the record of being the oldest player in the K-League and the most goals scored by a K-League goalkeeper. He was also selected to the league's Best Eleven four times.
#7 Ali Al Habsi
Date of birth: December 30, 1981
Nationality: Oman
International match record: 135 games, 124 goals conceded
Physical requirements: Height 194cm / Weight 80kg
Primary team: Wigan Wanderers
The best player in Omani soccer history, he made incredible saves based on his height and great reflexes, and was a consistent player who maintained his prime for a long period of time thanks to his excellent self-management skills.
He showed off his talents by being selected as the best goalkeeper in the Norwegian league for FC Lyn Oslo, a prestigious team in the Norwegian league, and later played for Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic, taking the starting position in place of Chris Kirkland.
Although his national team did not produce outstanding results due to his country's weak strength, he left a deep impression with his overwhelming performance in a 3-1 win against South Korea, which was on the rise.
#6 Matthew Ryan
Date of birth: April 8, 1992
Nationality: Australia
International match record: 81 games, 78 goals conceded / 33 clean sheets
Physical requirements: Height 184cm / Weight 73kg
Primary team: Brighton & Hove Albion
He was the best goalkeeper in the Asian Football Confederation country in the second half of the 2010s. Although he was short for a goalkeeper, he made up for the aerial ball handling ability, which is a major weakness of short goalkeepers, to some extent with his excellent jumping ability and appropriate positioning. In addition, he made excellent long kicks and was not embarrassed by the opponent's pressure. Not only was he good at calmly building up with short passes, but he also blocked the opponent well with forward defense based on quick judgment in one-on-one situations with the opposing attacker.
Ryan, who enjoyed his best years at Club Brugge KV and Brighton & Hope Albion, won the Belgian Cup with the former club, was named Goalkeeper of the Year twice in a row by the Jupileri, and also enjoyed his peak years at Brighton, before staying at Arsenal as a back-up. I also did it.
Ryan, who also showed outstanding performance as a member of the Australian national team, showed excellent performance in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup by defeating China, UAE, and Korea in the final, and was selected as the Best Eleven and Best Goalkeeper of the tournament. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, his home country, Australia, won the tournament. Despite being classified as an underdog, they achieved results that exceeded expectations by advancing to the round of 16.
5th place Mark Bosnich
Date of birth: January 13, 1972
Nationality: Australia
International match record: 17 games, 1 goal, 15 goals conceded / 10 clean sheets
Physical requirements: Height 185cm / Weight 86kg
Primary team: Aston Villa
As the best goalkeeper in Australian soccer in the 20th century, despite his massive physique, he was renowned for his excellent defensive line command as well as his ability to save thanks to his agile movements and great reflexes.
Although his prime was short, he achieved the feat of winning the League Cup twice during his time at Aston Villa, and he joined Manchester United as Schmeichel's successor, but his performance at Manchester United was below expectations.
He was a player who played for Australia before moving to the Asian Football Confederation, and finished second in the 1997 Confederation Cup, but suffered a bitter defeat in the final, conceding a hat-trick to both Ronaldo and Romario, losing 6-0. Still, he had no rivals in Oceania, and in 1999, he was selected as the best goalkeeper in Oceania of the 20th century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.
4th place Woonjae Lee
Date of birth: April 26, 1973
Nationality: Republic of Korea
A-match record: 133 games, 115 goals conceded
Physical requirements: Height 182cm / Weight 80kg
Primary team: Suwon Samsung Bluewings
He is considered the best goalkeeper in Korea along with his rival Kim Byeong-ji, and although he is evaluated as being behind Kim Byeong-ji in terms of flash, he boasts a different level of stability based on excellent judgment and unwavering strong mental power, and in terms of defensive coordination, he has no rival even in Asia. He was also very good at defending penalty kicks. In fact, in the 2004 K-League Champions final, he saved Pohang's last kicker Kim Byeong-ji's penalty kick in a penalty shootout and won the championship.
Thanks to this stability, Lee Woon-jae was already called up to the national team since his days at Korea University, and everyone from Hiddink to Pim Verbeek used Lee Woon-jae. Lee Woon-jae repaid the coaches' trust by placing 4th in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup and 4th in the North and Central America Gold Cup. . In particular, at the Korea-Japan World Cup, he competed against big goalkeepers such as Buffon and Casillas and won. Although he placed third in the 2007 Asian Cup, Lee Woon-jae's individual performance was recognized and he was selected to the tournament's All-Star team.
He joined Suwon Samsung as a founding member and led the team to four K-League titles, four League Cups and three FA Cups, and also won the Asian Club Championship, the predecessor competition of the AFC Champions League. He was in the K-League Best Eleven four times, and in particular, he contributed greatly to Suwon Samsung's victory in 2008, winning the league MVP, and winning the FA Cup MVP in 2009, showing his best performance both individually and as a team.
Based on the above-mentioned performance, in 2010, he was selected as the best eleven of Korean soccer history by poll company Gallup Korea, and was also selected as the best eleven of Korean soccer history by soccer magazine Best Eleven, reigning as the best goalkeeper in Korean soccer history. .
3rd place Mohamed Aldeayea
Date of birth: August 2, 1972
Nationality: Saudi Arabia
International match record: 178 games, 197 goals conceded
Physical requirements: Height 192cm / Weight 75kg
Primary team: Al Hilal
The best goalkeeper in Saudi Arabian soccer history, he not only had a tall height and long limbs, but he also had great reflexes and excellent athletic ability, showing off incredible saving skills.
Aldeayea, who enjoyed his heyday at Al Hilal, won the Saudi Arabian Premier League 4 times, the Saudi Crown France Cup 7 times, the AFC Champions League in the 1999-2000 season, and the Asian Cup Winners' Cup in the 2001-02 season, leading the club to a leading position in Asia. They contributed greatly to becoming the best club in soccer history.
The Saudi Arabian national team also advanced to the round of 16 at the 1994 U.S. World Cup by finishing second in a group that included powerhouses the Netherlands and Belgium, and Morocco, an emerging African powerhouse, and won the 1996 AFC Asian Cup and runners-up in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup in both competitions. Not only did they all enjoy the honor of being selected as the best goalkeeper in the Asian Cup, but they were also selected as Asia's Best Goalkeeper of the 20th Century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics and the Asian Men's Football Dream Team for 2021.
2nd place Nasser Heyazi
Date of birth: December 19, 1949
Nationality: Iran
International match record: 62 games
Physical condition: Height 186cm / Weight 79kg
Main team: Taj Tehran / Esteghlal
The best goalkeeper in Asian soccer in the 1970s and one of the best goalkeepers in Asian history, he was particularly good at blocking crosses based on his tall height, long arms, and excellent positioning.
Heiyaji, who led the Iranian national team's great leap forward in the 1970s, not only achieved two consecutive wins in the 1972 AFC Asian Cup and 1976 AFC Asian Cup, but also played an important role in achieving soccer gold medals in the 1974 Asian Games and advancing to the finals of the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.
Heyazi, who played for Taj Tehran and returned when the club's name was changed to Esteghlal, won four regular league titles and the 1970 Asian Club Championship. He was about to move to Manchester United, but he was defeated by his country's Islamic Revolution under Khomeini, which overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty. Due to political issues, the transfer to Manchester United failed.
1st place Mark Schwarzer
Date of birth: October 6, 1972
Nationality: Australia
International match record: 109 games, 99 goals conceded
Physical requirements: Height 194cm / Weight 95kg
Primary team: Middlesbrough
As the best goalkeeper in Australian soccer history, he not only showed consistent excellent saving ability based on his large physique and excellent athleticism, but also excelled at reading the opposing kicker's shooting direction based on his sharp visual acuity, as well as high-precision goal kicks and appropriate forward defense. He is evaluated as a goalkeeper who has adapted well to the trends of modern soccer.
Schwarzer, who played 514 games in the Premier League alone and set the record for the most appearances by a non-British player in the Premier League and 8th in total appearances, enjoyed his prime at Middlesbrough and was a starter for 11 consecutive seasons, starting with a runner-up finish in the Championship and League Cup in the 1997-98 season. During his career, he achieved the milestone of winning the League Cup in the 2003-04 season and finishing as runner-up in the UEFA Cup in the 2005-06 season. After moving to Fulham, he finished runner-up in the UEFA Europa League in the 2009-10 season and won the league as a backup at Chelsea and Leicester City in his later years. I experienced it, but I couldn't play in a single game.
He is truly untouchable in the Australian national team, and not only holds the record of appearing in the most international matches in the Australian national team's career, but also holds the record of finishing third in the 2001 Confederation Cup, winning the 2004 OFC Nations Cup, making the round of 16 of the 2006 Germany World Cup, and finishing as runner-up in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. He had the honor of being inducted into the Australian Hall of Fame in 2021.