Soccer players can be pretty good at finding ways to not put the ball in the back of the net. Whether it’s inexplicably hitting the post or mishitting a ball that gets sent into another galaxy, the world of footy is marred with highlight (lowlight?) videos of people performing on the highest stage and doing something that makes them look like me out there.
This, however, is a new one. During a game in Algeria on Saturday between the reserves for HB Chelghoum Laid and MSP Batna, a player for the latter got in on goal, carrying the ball from his half of the pitch into the attacking third and getting a one-on-one with the keeper. In an attempt to try and pressure the attacking player into a mistake, the goalkeeper came running out, but he was easily beaten.
The ball should have slid into the goal without all that much drama, but there was one problem: The ball boy, in an attempt to play the hero, ran in from out of nowhere and cleared the chance off the line.
Aujourd’hui pendant le match de HB Chelghoum Laid et le MO Batna en deuxième division algérienne, l’attaquant du MOB a profité de la sortie du gardien qui a laissé ses cages vides et il a décidé de tirer mais le ramasseur de balle a sorti la balle sur la ligne #TeamDz cc @DZfoot pic.twitter.com/12WFa1xUHC
— Ishaq Chebli (@IshaqChebli) February 27, 2021
There is something very funny about the fact that this happened in a game between the two reserve sides, but regardless, this is an impressive clearance off the line by the ball boy. In the event that this sort of thing leads to him never getting to be a ball boy again, he can at least take some solace in knowing that he has a future as a central defender who is capable of making last-ditch efforts to stop attempts on goal look routine.