GAVIN BAZUNU SPEAKS with remarkable calm and assurance for a teenager, but he nonetheless has a sense for drama, announcing himself to the world by saving the penalty from which Cristiano Ronaldo was set to become the record goalscorer in the history of men’s international football.
Bazunu accepted responsibility for its concession – Jeff Hendrick went to ground on Bruno Fernandes to retrieve Bazunu’s sloppy pass – and post-game spoke nonchalantly of brushing away the disappointment and putting his pre-game homework into action.
“Whenever I come into a game, I try to research the penalty takers and make my decision before the game.
“I try to watch videos of every single player I’m likely to come up against. It was no different for this game, myself and [goalkeeper coach] Dean Kiely has spoken about it before the game as to what would happen if there was a penalty.
“Yeah, that was my feeling he’d go that side depending on his run-up but I stuck to my gut and happy to make the save.
“That was definitely my fault for the penalty. As soon as it was given as a penalty, I had to forget about it because it’s not a goal, just a penalty. I obviously had the chance to right my wrongs and I was happy to be able to do that.”
It was the 167th penalty of Ronaldo’s professional career, and the 28th he failed to score.
Bazunu has form in this area. He made his name in Ireland as a 16-year-old for Shamrock Rovers by saving Kieran Sadlier’s penalty at Turner’s Cross.
Ronaldo was ultimately not to be denied in spite of Bazunu’s early heroics, and his two-goal salvo in the final six minutes of a frenetic game robbed Ireland of a famous victory.
“It is just complete devastation”, said Bazunu of the scene in the dressing room after the game, saying the minutes after the game were too soon for the players to start picking themselves up and shift focus to Saturday’s qualifier at home to Azerbaijan.
“You have 24 hours as a player to get over results like this. When there are games coming up thick and fast you have 24 hours to feel, I suppose, heartbroken and it’s gut-wrenching. After that you just have to get over it and focus on the next game because there are six points to play for.”
Ireland remain on zero points after three games with consensus saying qualification is now likely beyond their grasp, but Bazunu said he can’t see why Ireland can’t yet sneak into second place and force their way into the play-offs.
That will necessitate a first competitive win under Stephen Kenny on Saturday, and probably another victory when Serbia come to town three days later.
“We have to go and treat these next two games like we came and prepared for this one”, says Bazunu. “There are no thoughts of this game being any easier because at the end of the day there is the same three points up for grabs and we have to go and attack this match like we would any other.”
Bazunu is certainly not one to rest on his laurels: in spite of his dramatic turn against Ronaldo and the fact he has started Ireland’s last four games, he says he doesn’t feel he’s Kenny’s automatic first-choice goalkeeper.
“Every training session I come into, I feel that I have to prove myself again, not just to the manager but myself.
“I always go into a training session never being content being the so-called umber one. I feel that I have to work for my spot every time that I set foot on the pitch.”
Ireland will be without Shane Long on Saturday owing to a positive Covid test, with Dara O’Shea likely to be absent too having been forced off with an ankle injury in Portugal.
