Despite raised eyebrows over the form of Super Eagles goalkeepers ahead of the crucial 2022 Qatar World Cup play-offs against Ghana, Atlanta ’96 gold medalist Joseph Dosu has expressed confidence in the current keepers.
Eagles head coach Austin Eguavoen listed shot stoppers Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho and Daniel Akpeyi in his provisional 32-man squad for the encounter, but the gaffer faces a daunting task selecting his first-choice for crucial double-header, which holds March 25 in Ghana, with the reverse fixture in Nigeria four days later.
Okoye, 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.
Uzoho, the Eagles’ second choice, has conceded 20 goals and kept three clean sheets in 12 games, while Kaizer Chiefs’ Akpeyi, is yet to make an appearance for his Premier Soccer League club since December 22 and may be offloaded by the South African side at the end of the season.
However, Dosu, in an interview with The PUNCH, expressed confidence in all the invited shot stoppers.
“I don’t think there is any need to fear as regards the Eagles goalkeeping department ahead of the World Cup play-off against Ghana,” Dosu told The PUNCH.
“I believe the young chaps, anytime they are called up, have given us what we expected of them. I won’t say because Okoye didn’t do well at the last Africa Cup of Nations we should crucify him and the others.
“As I have always said, we have very good goalkeepers in this country and in Europe but anytime any of them make a mistake we are very quick to judge them and ask that they should be replaced.
“Goalkeepers make mistakes, players make mistakes. All we need to do is believe in the current goalkeepers. Okoye is not doing badly with Rotterdam, while Akpeyi, Uzoho and Adebayo Adeleye in Israel are also waiting for their opportunities in the national team.
“So, for me, we don’t have any goalkeeping problem in the team, we just need to have confidence in them.”
Credit: punchng.com
