NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers goalkeeper Ante Covic hopes to prepare for the celebration of his 100th Hyundai A-League game next week with a win against his former club Melbourne Victory this Saturday.
NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers goalkeeper Ante Covic hopes to prepare for the celebration of his 100th Hyundai A-League game next week with a win against his former club Melbourne Victory this Saturday.
Covic leads the competition with nine clean sheets this season and is ready for one of the hottest cauldrons in football.
“It is something I am proud of, obviously I have been out of the country for long time, and to still get to 100 A-League games is an achievement,” Covic said.
It was originally reported that Covic would reach 100 games this Saturday against his old club due to a mistake by the official statistics contractor Sportsdata.
A recount found that Sportsdata had failed to record a one-match suspension the keeper served when playing for Victory last year.
This week Covic will play his 99th game, setting him up to celebrate his 100th game in front of his home fans against Perth Glory FC on February 23 at Parramatta Stadium.
“It actually works out much better for me,” Covic said.
“I now get to celebrate the milestone in front of our fantastic fans next week at Parramatta Stadium.
“If it worked out against Victory that would have been good but now to be able to play my 100th in front of our supporters at home is much, much better.”
Covic, 38, who also played in Sweden and Greece, said it was hard to single out individual A-League career highlights.
“Hopefully there will be a big highlight at the end of this season,” Covic said.
“At this stage I would have to say winning the championship with Newcastle (in 2007/08), anytime you win a championship it is a highlight.
“This season has been a highlight hugely for me personally.
“The way this Club has gone about its business from day one and the success we are having on the pitch and off the pitch is something you are going to remember for some time and a lot of people are going to remember what this club has achieved in such a short time.
“This season for me is definitely a huge highlight.”
The Wanderers are gunning for their sixth win in a row to cement second place on the table.
Victory dropped to third last week when they lost to Adelaide away 1-0.
The 193cm-goalkeeper said Victory were a dangerous opponent away from home.
“They are a very good side, they proved it this year and on their day they can beat anyone,” he said.
“They can play some very attractive football and they can score goals, we know that.
“We are playing them in Melbourne and it is always tough to go down there but it is a fantastic stadium and a fantastic field and we are in great form ourselves.
“I expect it to be a cracker of a game and there is lots to play for, for both sides.”
Covic was asked about an incident late in last week-s 2-1 win over Newcastle Jets when Emile Heskey and Ryan Griffiths tried to snatch the ball from the keeper after his old club had scored near the death.
Covic held onto the ball as Griffiths struck out at him like a Chelsea player at a ball boy.
“At the end of the day it is our ball, it is our kick off,” Covic said.
“If they had just moved on and gone back to the halfway the kick off would have happened much before and in a sense they delayed it more so than I did.
“It got a little bit heated but I know Ryan quite well and we are mates off the park and it is just what happens sometimes.
“But if they look back at it they are the ones that delayed it because it was my ball at the end of the day.”
