Super Eagles coach Austin Eguavoen faces a daunting task selecting his first choice goalkeeper for this month’s crucial double-header clash between Nigeria and Ghana for a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In times past, the Eagles didn’t have a reason to question who manned the posts. The likes of Emmanuel Okala, Best Ogedengbe, Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Wilfred Agbonavbare, Ike Shorunmu and Vincent Enyeama and others, had churned out impressive performances for the national team at different periods.
Eguavoen listed three goalkeepers (Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho and Daniel Akpeyi) for the clash versus the Black Stars, which first holds at the Cape Coast Stadium on March 25, with the return leg scheduled for the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, four days later.
All the three goalkeepers have not kept more than five clean sheets, with the season already past the halfway line.
Okoye, who was the target of irate fans after the Eagles exit from the Africa Cup for Nations in Cameroon last month, is the team’s first choice and has conceded 29 goals in 21 games for struggling Eredivisie side Sparta Rotterdam.
Despite conceding one goal in three games at the 2021 AFCON, Okoye was rarely tested, but he failed his first major test against Tunisia, when he was beaten by Youssef Msakni’s long range shot in a round of 16 clash in Garoua, Cameroon.
He still remains a top contender for the first choice position for the game ahead of duo Akpeyi and Uzoho.
He is currently ranked the 10th best goalkeeper in the Dutch topflight this season and has made 61 saves for Sparta, who have recorded only four league wins from 24 games and are battling relegation.
Uzoho, the Eagles’ second choice, has conceded 20 goals and kept three clean sheets in 12 games.
Kaizer Chiefs’ shot-stopper, Daniel Akpeyi, is yet to make an appearance for his Premier Soccer League club since December 22. He was an unused substitute for the Eagles at the recent Africa Cup of Nations.
His last game at club level was in Kaizer Chiefs’ 2-0 win over Maritzburg United on December 22, 2021.
Akpeyi has kept five clean sheets, conceding seven goals in 12 games, and he is yet to feature for Kaizer Chiefs in 2022, missing their last four games across all competitions.
The 32-year-old has made 19 appearances for the Eagles since he made his debut in 2015.
Source: Punch Sports
