Seychellois-Italian Francesco Anacoura named Serie C top goalkeeper in Italy

The award was given during the Italian Football Festival. (Francesco Anacoura)

Seychellois-Italian goalkeeper Francesco Anacoura has been named as the top goalkeeper of Serie C, the third-highest football division in Italy by Italian journalists.

The award was given during the Italian Football Festival, which is the most important, prestigious and exclusive annual sports event in Italy.

Anacoura was named in the Serie C XI of the year, after helping his team Sestri Levante to safety in their first season in the third division of Italian football.

"I am very happy to have been given this award and it makes me so proud," said Anacoura, adding that it feels great to be recognised for his performances.

Anacoura has not represented Seychelles yet but he has expressed a desire to do so.

Anacoura was named in the Serie C XI of the year, after helping his team Sestri Levante to safety. (Francesco Anacoura) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

He began his career at Juventus, one of the top teams in the Serie A, the top division in Italy after playing in the youth sides of Inter Milan and Parma. His senior career saw him represent the jerseys of Cuneo, Pro Vercelli, Pontedera, Rimini, Casertana, Ancona and, in Portugal, Cova da Piedade, Maritimo and Estrela Amadora.

He joined Sestri Levante while they were in the fourth division of Italian football and helped them to the league title and promotion. They managed to secure a 15th-place finish last season to avoid relegation, with Anacoura  being instrumental, with some great performance, which has earned him a spot in the team of the season.

"Last season was unbelievable, as we were rookies in the division and did not play any games in our stadium, but with a strong group of players and a good mentality, we achieved our goal," said the 30-year- old, who has seen his career revived at the club.

This season, however, has been a tough one for the side, who find themselves in the relegation play-off zone after 15 games. They have once again been solid defensively, while the attack has been lacking with only eight goals scored so far.

Anacoura hopes he has made enough of an impression to earn a move to a bigger team, which is something he hopes to achieve. He shared, however,  that he owes so much to Sestri Levante.

"I will always be grateful to this club!" Anacoura added, sharing that he has found a family there.

For those interested in the more popular players, in the Serie A, Arsenal's former Bologna defender, Riccardo Calafiori was named as the best player for the 2023/24 season, with Lorenzo Lucca, who plays for Udinese, taking home the young player of the year award.