Vincent Enyeama
The Super Eagles of Nigeria claimed a 4-2 win over Argentina on
Tuesday but did have to claw their way back from two goals down. In what
has become a recurring headache for coach Gernot Rohr since Carl Ikeme
was diagnosed with acute leukaemia, there hasn’t been any solid option
for the goalkeeping position.The German tactician ultimately gave the nod to Daniel Akpeyi – who
has low approval ratings among Nigerian fans having consistently been
making blunders when called upon.
It was probably the perfect time for the Chippa United man to
redeem his negative image and win the hearts of fans back...but sadly,
it was going to be the same old story.
Now notoriously, he attempted to take a goal kick but Sergio Aguero
closed the gap, and Akpeyi quickly picked up the ball up having
forgotten that it was outside his area. He was (leniantly) booked for
his offence, a free kick was given for Argentina, and Ever Banega
converted to give Jorge Sampaoli’s men the lead.
It was an embarrassing moment from a professional. I have said it
over and over again, Daniel Akpeyi has no business in the Super Eagles. —
'Shina Oludare (@sportingshina) November 14, 2017.
Even for the South Americans second goal, Akpeyi was mute when
Cristian Pavon’s cross found Aguero – who tucked the ball home with
consummate ease. With Nigeria down 2-1 at half time, Rohr decided to
bring in 19-year old Francis Uzoho for Akpeyi, and things improved.
The Deportivo La Coruna youngster was very composed on his debut.
He had better handling of the ball and showed good reflexes. The defence
looked more organised with the Aspire Academy graduate between the
sticks, and his ball distribution led to some nice counter attacking
moves.
Francis Uzoho
In as much as Uzoho impressed, it is not to get carried away and
think he is the man moving forward. He does have a bright future ahead
of him but with the World Cup fast approaching, Rohr needs to have his
strongest squad available if the Super Eagles aim to impress.
Uzoho in. Will be interesting to see how the Deportivo goalie fare. #ARGNGA — Odiko Godwin™ (@OdikoGodwin) November 14, 2017
The number of games to be played between now and June when the
mundial kicks offs might not be enough to sort things out and this is
where Nigeria must do everything in their power to recall Vincent
Enyeama.
The record-capped Nigerian called time on his national duties in
2015 after a fallout with then-coach Sunday Oliseh. There have been
several attempts to lure the 35-year-old back since, with Senate
President Bukola Saraki writing to him to rescind his decision. To date,
Vinny has not heeded the call.
Please someone needs to tell Enyeama to beg Enyeama to return to
the Super Eagles. We could do better with him. #ARGNGA — Nwokwu Miracle
(@nwokwum) November 14, 2017
Efforts need to be intensified to bring him back, because he is the
best bet at making sure Nigeria’s outing at the World Cup could be
memorable for the right reasons considering his past experiences,
especially against Argentina. He memorably dazzled in 2010, keeping
Lionel Messi quiet and winning the man of the match award.
Although it's true that Enyeama has not had any significant game
time this season having battled with injury and being frozen out of the
Lille first team, his vast experience will enable him to get into the
thick of things immediately should he be recalled. Goalkeepers are like
wine. The older they get, the better they are.
Essam El-Hadary retired from Egypt in 2013 but made a comeback and
was named in the Pharaohs squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in
Gabon.
At 44 years, he became the oldest player to feature at the
continental showpiece, bringing back his heroics of old as the North
Africans made it to the final. With Egypt reaching the World Cup for the
first time in 28 years, El-Hadary will be part of the squad and will be
looking to make history as the oldest player at the event, by which
time he would have turned 45.
The Super Eagles aren’t in the best shape just yet, even though it
can be said that this is one of the most exciting and entertaining
squads in recent times.
The performance in Krasnodar confirmed that, but the goalkeeper
dilemma must be solved, and continues to cast a shadow over the team's
World Cup preparations.
In an ideal situation, Vincent Enyeama would be the short-term fix
that will ensure Nigeria have a good World Cup, while Uzoho can be his
understudy within that period, getting valuable experience from the
101-capped man ahead of his own long career as the Eagles' No. 1.
The decision (and ability) to recall Enyeama could be the key
factor in deciding whether the Nigeria side that heads to Russia can
match or surpass the nation's greatest performances at the tournament to
date.
Rohr has put the Eagles firmly on the path towards a promising
tournament, but he must get his best man between the sticks between now
and next summer.
Written for Goal.com by Kunle Fayiga.
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