South Asians in Football Weekly: Is Jaz Singh the best goalkeeper in England right now?

The latest edition of South Asians in Football Weekly is out after another fine week for the community in the Beautiful Game…

Record-breaking goalkeeper Jaz Singh kept another clean sheet for runaway National League North leaders Tamworth and has now gone an astonishing 15 hours without conceding a goal.

Earlier this month, Singh broke a club record set before he was born by Dale Belford who went 712 minutes without conceding.

His ninth consecutive clean sheet and his 20th of the season so far in a goalless draw at Hereford at the weekend means Singh and his defensive unit are yet to concede a goal in 2024.

Tamworth have the best defence in the top six tiers of English football, letting in just 19 goals in 34 league matches this year.

Speaking live on Sky Sports News ahead of Tuesday night’s trip to Chorley, Singh said: “I can’t take all the credit. It has got to go down to the team effort. I would love to take all the credit but I can’t.

“Our standout result was probably away at Scunthorpe who are a massive club and ex-Football League. To go there on a Tuesday night and win 1-0 and get another clean sheet was another big result in the history of our club.”

Singh’s performances have led to speculation he could feature in the England C non-League squad that travels to Wales next month for a clash with Cymru C in Llanelli.

“Singh is a player,” England technical talent coach Jas Batt told Sky Sports News.

“Jas is one of a number of exceptionally talented British South Asians playing at the higher end of non-League football.

“He’s a brilliant role model in his own right. He’s shown that with the work he’s put in to get to this milestone and write his name into the history books at Tamworth.

“Singh and Tamworth have been a great partnership.”

Blues forward Mannu scores at Arsenal

Blues starlet Riya Mannu capped a fine team move to slot home Birmingham City’s only goal of the game as their U21s lost away at Arsenal in the Professional Game Academy league.

A youthful Blues team conceded very early on to high-flying Arsenal at Hemel Hempstead Town, but showed tremendous character to find their way back into the contest through Mannu’s equaliser.

Jess Hood made a lung-bursting run down the right before cutting back for Mannu who drifted in from the flank to calmly finish at the back post. Head coach Liam Parkes made a tactical switch moments earlier to shift 17-year-old Mannu further over to the left.

But Arsenal’s superiority eventually told with the Gunners running out 5-1 winners at the Focus Community Arena.

Punjabi teenager Mannu has trained regularly with Birmingham City’s first team during the second half of the season.

Simran Jhamat got West Brom Women’s opener in the Black Country derby at Wolves but was substituted after taking a knock, with the Baggies conceding a last-minute equaliser before losing on penalties in an agonising cup semi-final defeat.

Sky Sports News exclusively revealed in September England youth international Jhamat had joined West Brom as a free agent after spending last season at Coventry United.

Tanzania international Tarryn Allarakhia was on target for Wealdstone in a 4-2 loss at home to Gateshead in the National League.

Sky Sports News exclusively revealed last month that Allarakhia, who has mixed Indian and East African heritage, became the first British South Asian to play at an Africa Cup of Nations in the modern era, with the east Londoner starting Tanzania’s tournament opener against 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco.

Torquay United winger Dillon De Silva has been called up by Sri Lanka for the inaugural FIFA World Series four-nation tournament.

Former Spurs youngster De Silva, who featured in Sky Sports News’ Future of Football series, joined Torquay on a permanent deal last summer after impressing during a loan spell from QPR the previous season.

Meanwhile, Manchester United stopper Safia Middleton-Patel has been named in the Wales squad for next week’s women’s international friendly with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

Still: ‘My old captain’

British-Bangladeshi trailblazer Anwar Uddin has returned to the touchline with a bang after reuniting with Danny Searle to join Ebbsfleet United.

Sky Sports News exclusively revealed Uddin would be returning as England C assistant manager, but Ebbsfleet’s decision to part company with Dennis Kutrieb after their loss to bottom side Oxford City, has seen now him make a dramatic return to coaching at club level.

Searle appointed Uddin as his assistant during his time at Aldershot Town before going on to manage Banik Ostrava and becoming the first English coach to take the helm at Czech Premier League club.

The duo have already picked up five points in three matches, following up impressive draws against Oldham and away at league leaders Chesterfield with a comprehensive 3-0 win against Eastleigh.

Uddin made his senior debut in league football at Bristol Rovers under John Still, before the Englishman signed him again for Dagenham and Redbridge where he made the West Ham academy graduate his skipper.

Still told Sky Sports News’ David Richardson: “Anwar is my old captain. He’s a lovely man who has done brilliantly for himself and does a lot for British South Asians in football.

“He loves that side of the game and I hope it all works for him.”

Benning named in Team of the Week

Mal Benning had a great start to last week after earning selection in the Sky Bet League One Team of the Week.

Benning has featured in 33 games across all competitions this season and produced a stunning assist for Aaron Pierre to score an equaliser at high-flying Derby County.

The 30-year-old joined Shrewsbury last summer after a stunning spell at Port Vale, who he helped get promoted after rounding off the scoring in a 3-0 win against former side Mansfield Town in the 2022 League Two play-off final.

Speaking to Sky Sports News after the game, Benning said: “I don’t care that it’s me [who scored], it could have been anyone. But for the Sikh community as well as South Asians in football, that was a massive step.”

British South Asians in Football

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