Francis Uzoho: One Error, Too Many

Goalkeepers have never been the problem of Nigeria or the Super Eagles as a team, we have always had them aplenty.

From Emmanuel Okala to Peter Fregene, to Best Ogedegbe, to Patrick Okala, to Peter Rufai, to Alloy Agu, to Ike Shorunmu, to Vincent Enyeama etc, top class goal keepers in their own rights. But not anymore. How things have suddenly changed never stops to amaze me. How Nigeria that usually have legions of world class goalkeepers have now become so bad that Uzoho should be our first choice is a national embarrassment which has to be addressed with immediate alacrity to avert further humiliations.

Nigerians can’t afford further pain and heartbreak due to the countless errors of one man. Enough of the nonsense. Is it that we don’t have goalkeepers anymore, that we will continue to condone Uzoho?

I certainly do not think so. Then, why has Jose Peseiro failed to try other goalkeepers but decided to keep fate in Uzoho who keeps messing up and committing errors after errors remains to be told?

Who is Uzoho’s backbone and Godfather that gave him the temerity to rub it in on Nigerians rather than remain apologetic and beg for pardon, he is hauling insults on Nigerians?

What is the job of the goalkeeper trainer and why do we pay for one with tax payer’s money if he can’t find us a decent goalkeeper from over 200 million Nigerian?

Questions and more questions but seriously this is more serious than we think and should therefore not be treated with levity.

We’re In Supremacy Cup For Business – FC Bethel Sporting

If Nigeria wants to make any significant impact at the upcoming Cote D’Ivoire 2024 AFCON, then we must fix the Eagles goalkeeping department. Going to AFCON with those clowns we call goalkeepers will amount to a monumental disaster. God forbid!

What I don’t understand is must our goalkeepers come from Europe? Can’t we look inwards? Who said there are no good goalkeepers at home in the domestic league?

Agreed that the league is not what it used to be many years ago but talents are still abound. They only need to be fished out, nurtured and exposed.

Footballers like Victor Osimhen weren’t born in Europe, he was discovered from our streets, so why can’t we find good goalkeepers back home here?

Vincent Enyeama who we all celebrate today prior to 2002 world cup in Japan/South Korea was a local goalkeeper with Enyimba int’l of Aba when Chief Festus Onigbinde took him to that world cup. Though, Ike Shorunmu was ahead of him as first choice, but after we exited from the tournament, by virtue of having lost our first and second game to Sweden and Argentina, 2-1, 1-0 respectively, Onigbinde was courageous enough to throw a young Enyeama into the fray in their last game against England that ended 0-0 with Enyeama as the star performer. That was the story of Enyeama and his pathway to stardom in Nigerian football.

But why is Peseiro scared to try out other goalkeepers even during inconsequential games like friendlies? Why must it always be Uzoho?

A goalkeeper whose primary school error cost us the world cup in 2022 to Qatar.

Nigerians sure deserves better or at least an explanation because this has finally gone overboard. A stitch in time, they say saves nine. I rest my case.