Super Eagles’ handlers are upbeat on Nigeria’s chances at the Cote d’Ivoire 2024 Africa Cup of Nations. But stakeholders are wary of prospects in the goalkeeping position, GOWON AKPODONOR reports.

The goalkeeper is one of the most important components of a football team. The role is unique because he or she is the member of the team that is not expected to make mistakes, which are often costly.

In modern football, clubs and countries spend time and resources to train their goalkeepers because they know that a good shot stopper can earn them many game-winning points.

A solid goalkeeper spreads confidence across his team’s backline such that the rest of the players have the assurance to pursue the task of winning their game.

Over the years, Nigeria has been blessed with top quality goalkeepers such that football fans go into every game knowing that when the last man is called into action, he will be equal to that task of saving his fatherland.

From the early 1970s through the 80s and down to 2014, Nigeria paraded some of the best goalkeepers in African football. From the era of Peter ‘The Cat’ Fregene, Joseph ‘Joe’ Erico, Emmanuel ‘Man Mountain’ Okala, Best Ogedegbe, Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Ike Shorunmu down to the days of Vincent Enyeama, Nigerians had no reason to fret over who manned their goalpost.

In fact, a goalkeeper, Okala, was the first Nigerian to win the African Footballer of the Year award when it was organised by the Association of African Sports Journalists (ASJU).

However, in recent times, like many other sectors of the nation’s economy, Nigerian football followers are faced with a goalkeeping problem that could scuttle the country’s bid to win its fourth Africa Cup of Nations title in Cote d’Ivoire, next year.

The goalkeeping issues cropped up in 2016 when former Super Eagles captain, Enyeama, was forced to leave the team by then coach, Sunday Oliseh and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Although Carl Ikeme’s emergence papered over the issue, his Leukemia-induced retirement from the game exposed the country to a situation that it had to scamper for just any decent goalkeeper to lead the country through the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and the competition in Russia.

When former national team coach, Gernot Rohr, thrust rookie, Francis Uzoho, into the fray, many saw the former U-17 national team goalkeeper as the long-term solution to the problem. Although Uzoho had a decent outing at the World Cup, many hoped that with time, he would grow to become a reliable custodian of the position for many years to come.

But five years on, the nation is back in worry, wondering what would happen at the African Nations Cup in Cote d’Ivoire. The Uzoho question came up again during the two recent international friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique in Portugal and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

It brought back memories of three recent major events at the championship, namely: Egypt 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi’s poor calculation led to Nigeria’s loss to Algeria in the semifinal; Maduka Okoye’s ‘moment of madness’ at Cameroon 2021 AFCON, where the Super Eagles were eliminated in the round of 16 by Tunisia; and Francis Uzoho’s schoolboy error, which gifted the Black Stars of Ghana the ticket to Qatar 2022 World Cup in place of the Eagles.

Uzoho was so poor in the two international friendly matches that many Nigerians started calling for an immediate replacement before he scuttles whatever ambition Nigeria has at the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire. His performance against Lesotho further raised the decibel of the demand for a decent goalkeeper for the Super Eagles.

The question, however, is, does Nigeria have any capable goalkeeper to replace the Cyprus-based player? Coach Peseiro’s goalkeepers to the Cote d’Ivoire 2024 Africa Cup of Nations are Uzoho, South Africa-based Stanley Nwabili and Enyimba’s Leke Ojo.

To former international goalkeeper, David Aigbovo, poor goalkeeping has been a major issue since the NFF jettisoned merit for quota system and sentiment in recruiting personnel for the national teams.

He said: “We will not get it right until we eschew sentiment and regional considerations for merit in the invitation of players and recruitment of coaches for the national teams.”

Going memory lane, Aigbovo said: “In 2005, I was invited for an interview by the NFF for the position of Super Eagles goalkeepers’ trainer, and I was the best candidate. But soon after, politics of regional appointment came in. They called me to say that they knew I came out tops in the goalkeepers’ category, but they said it won’t be possible. They said they had to do appointments region by region.

“According to the NFF, since Christian Chukwu (head coach) was from Southeast and Austin Eguavoen (assistant) was from the South South region, they would take Amusa Adisa from North Central as the goalkeepers’ trainer.
“You can imagine picking Adisa, who, at that time, was already getting old. They pleaded with me that I would be considered after those set of people.
“Many people, including some journalists wanted to know what happened, but I didn’t say anything. Till today, some NFF officials still thank me for not exposing them. Some time ago, Amusa Adisa and I met at the airport, and he gave me $200 because of that incident,” he stated.

Aigbovo, who was Shooting Stars Sports Club’s (3SC) goalkeeper when they won the maiden CAF Cup in 1992, advised the NFF to set up a training camp for goalkeepers, and assemble some former goalkeepers to teach them the basic rudiments of goalkeeping.

“I have suggested that several times, but what some people in the NFF do now is to set up academies and pick players from these academies for the national team.
“If the NFF can set up a camp for goalkeepers, we can train many of them for the national teams and even for some clubs to pick players from. This idea of relying on foreign-based goalkeepers has done more harm than good to our Super Eagles since Vincent Enyeama left the scene,” he stated.

Corroborating Aigbovo’s stance on the issue, some other stakeholders believe that the Nigerian system keeps shutting out the country’s best shot stoppers from the national team.

They cite the ‘sudden disappearance’ of former Enyimba goalkeeper, John Noble, from the scene as part of the shenanigans in the football house.
“How John Noble was shut out of the Super Eagles remains a mystery,” Akeem Busari, a sports journalist, said. “And why no one is questioning the decision, particularly at this point that there is a goalkeeping crisis in the team, is equally surprising.”

Noble was said to have demanded for his entitlements after the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon and the Qatar 2022 World Cup playoffs. “Since then, he has literally been blacklisted from the national team,” Busari stated.

Before his confrontation with the NFF, Noble, who was captain of Enyimba FC, was the best home-based goalkeeper. It was on that account that he was invited into the Super Eagles during the World Cup playoffs.

“The shoddy treatment he got after he requested for his entitlements led to his exit, as he moved to Tanzania where he pitched tent with Tabora United, a club in the country’s elite league. He has won the award for best saves in the Tanzanian top league thrice since joining Tabora United; he has also remained the club’s first choice goalkeeper. Ask football stakeholders in Tanzania and they will tell you the Nigerian is the best goalkeeper in their league presently.

“At a time like this, when Super Eagles obviously lack quality goalkeepers, wouldn’t it be wise for John Noble to be recalled into the team? I believe none of the goalkeepers in the team now is better than Noble,” Busari said.
Cable Football Academy of Delta State proprietor, Edwin Onovwotafe, said the Super Eagles’ goalkeeping problem is beyond what many fans see on the surface.

Onovwotafe said: “The physical training a goalkeeper receives in camp will never give him reflexes, good timing, commonsense and confidence,” he said.

“Rather, the qualities of good goalkeeping are in-built, and a goalkeeper grows with it. They are very necessary components for a goalkeeper. Training will only add to these qualities, and that is why a coach will look at the fitness level of a goalkeeper. Those other components already exist in his body,” Onovwotafe stated.

Another former international goalkeeper, Etta Egbe, of Calabar Rovers and Iwuanyanwu Nationale fame, advised national team selectors to try other goalkeepers in friendly matches before the Nations Cup, saying that relying on Uzoho could spell doom for the country.

He said: “My worry is the goalkeeper. I’m of the opinion that another goalkeeper be given a chance. We have tried to give Uzoho confidence, but he’s not responding positively. So let us try another goalkeeper.”
Egbe urged the coaching staff to provide opportunities for different players, while highlighting the importance of fostering healthy competition among goalkeepers.

To another former international goalkeeper, Peterside Idah, the answer to Nigeria’s goalkeeping woes is in the return of ‘the most successful’ Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, to the team as goalkeepers’ coach.

According to the former Moroka Swallows of South Africa goalkeeper, the presence of Enyeama, who was capped 101 times for Nigeria, in the Eagles will motivate the likes of Uzoho, Maduka Okoye, Adebayo Adeleye, and other goalies, to step up their game.

“If we bring in an Enyeama as the goalkeepers’ coach, his wealth of experience as a former AFCON winner and two times World Cup goalkeeper for Nigeria will significantly help to improve the goalies in camp.

“The current Eagles goalkeepers crave a leader; somebody they can look up to and truly learn from and I believe a Vincent Enyeama will provide that before and during the AFCON tournament,” Idah said.

Idah said that he does not know the current Super Eagles goalkeepers’ trainer, saying that the situation could breed speculations that the fellow does not have the requisite experience to support the national team goalkeepers.

“We cannot have several goalkeepers who have kept for Nigeria in the past and have someone whose name I don’t know as the national team goalkeepers’ coach in 2023, this is totally unacceptable,” said Idah, referring to the national team’s current goalkeepers’ trainer, Olatunji Baruwa.”

“In as much as Vincent Enyeama remains my preferred choice as the goalies coach, I think a Peter Rufai will also do a great job in that capacity if given the opportunity.”