Ghana’s Lawrence Ati Zigi marks 250th St. Gallen game with dramatic penalty save

Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi’s milestone afternoon was nothing short of cinematic as the Black Stars goalkeeper celebrated his 250th appearance for FC St. Gallen with a performance that defined his legacy in the Swiss Super League.

In a high-stakes away clash at the Stadio di Cornaredo, Ati Zigi anchored a resilient 2-1 comeback victory against FC Lugano on May 10, 2026, keeping his side’s pursuit of a top-two finish alive.

The match remained deadlocked until the 53rd minute when Lugano’s Mahmoud Belhadj Mahmoud finally breached St. Gallen’s defense to take a 1-0 lead.

However, the visitors mounted a spirited fightback; Mihailo Stevanovic leveled the score in the 69th minute before captain Lukas Görtler converted a controversial handball penalty five minutes later to flip the script.

As the game spiraled into a chaotic final phase under pouring rain, the spotlight shifted entirely to Ati Zigi.

Deep into stoppage time, a VAR-assisted penalty was awarded to Lugano in the 98th minute, threatening to erase St. Gallen’s hard-earned lead.

Facing Ezgjan Alioski from the spot, Ati Zigi produced a spectacular save that not only secured the three points but also provided a fitting highlight for his 250th game.

🚨 Ghana’s Lawrence Ati Zigi made his 250th appearance for Swiss side St. Gallen in style! 🇬🇭🧤🔥

The #BlackStars keeper saved a penalty, delivered victory and celebrated a massive milestone over the weekend.

What a servant. What a keeper. 💚👏 pic.twitter.com/xMQkGuSqJ3

— Ibrahim Sannie Daara (@SannieDaara) May 11, 2026

This heroics added to a season where his 74.2% save rate has reached a career high, reinforcing his status as one of the league’s premier shot-stoppers.

Since arriving in Switzerland in January 2020, Ati Zigi has become a cornerstone of the club.

He conceded 365 goals and kept 49 clean sheets in that run, conceding just over a goal every game.