Daniel Akpeyi’s agent Mohammed Lawal has confimed interest in his client from clubs in Europe and Asia, reports Completesports.com.
Akpeyi has been immense for the Glamour Boys between the sticks this season. He was leading the race for the Goalkeeper of the Season award before PSL action was halted by the coronavirus.
His agent, Lawal, has informed Independent Media that his client is a wanted man abroad.
“Yes, there is interest in the services of Daniel. I won’t give you the names of the clubs. There’s interest from Belgium, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait,” Lawal said.
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“At the moment, it is not about what we are considering. Daniel is a Kaizer Chiefs player. Chiefs recently renewed his contract just in January. So, as it is now, it is not in our hands to decide. These clubs have to talk to Chiefs first and we will take it from there. He extended his contract with two more seasons,” Lawal said.
Akpeyi is also the current goalkeeper for the Nigerian national team. At last year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, he helped the Super Eagles reach the semi-finals.
“Obviously when a player is still active, he will always aspire to move abroad. For now, he is not going to move for the just sake of moving. At the present moment, he is firmly focused on Chiefs and how he is going to help the club win titles during the duration of his contract,” Lawal said.
4 Comments
good for him
Yes sir. Good for him indeed. Quite clearly one of the best Africa-based African goalkeepers out there, it will appear that Akpeyi is less appreciated by his own people than by foreigners.
Good on him.
I remember the way Akpeyi ran out to narrow the angle and make the Algerian attacker rush his shot only be smothered for what would have been their first goal earlier in the match – this, after Omeruo had mistimed his kick and left the strikers racing through on goal.
It seems we Super Eagles fans are the unforgiving type. For all the deluge of criticisms that has come Akpeyi’s way, one would be forgiven to think that he regularly flops in Super Eagles colours. However, ask the detractors for when Akpeyi fumbled for Nigeria and they will be quite to point at his faux pas against Argentina.
Yes, that one; when Akpeyi erroneously dropped the ball in quite comical fashion, bizarrely thinking that Aguerro was in a offside position. It was double whammy for the funny-face looking goalie as he conceded a freekick and conceded a goal from it.
Although Akpeyi was looking rather bemused throughout that episode (as Awaziem tried – in what proved to be an exercise in futility – to plead his beleaguered Nigerian brother’s case), that look wasn’t far removed from how he normally looks anyway.
Forever looking dazed, confused, disorientated and clueless, Super Eagles fans have come to wrongly associate Akpeyi’s looks with his goalkeeper capabilities.
What a mistake to make!
Mercifully, Coach Ernst Middendorp of Kaizer Chiefs and successive coaches of the Super Eagles of Nigeria know better. They know that what makes a quality goalkeeper transcends mere looks and the odd mistakes here and there.
You only have to watch David Da Gea of Manchester United to know that Akpeyi is good company when it comes to conjuring performances more suited for comic relief rather than the football pitch.
Akpeyi’s qualities have never been in doubt. From stellar performances in the Nigeria Professional Football League to saved that drew critical acclaim in the South African league, the 32 year old Olympic bronze medallist continues to grow from strength to strength.
And if this move to Belgium does materialise, then we ain’t seen nothing yet!
u fr kuku write go reach 2moro sef na. i nor fit even read quarter of ur write up. U mention Akpeyi error at afcon, u mention akpeyi childish error at argentina game, and mention benanga freekick that beat him, and we change imidiately uzoho came on, u also notice his low free kick and corner kick reading. How bafana bafana and teranga lion easily score him corner kicks. U notice all this, yet u said he is one the best goal keeper.
so this forum has even develop a clown.
With no disrespect to either Enyeama or Uzoho, even they weren’t/aren’t immuned from conceding questionable goals.
Does that detract from their immense skills or contributions? Not really.
In the Afcon, Nigeria kept clean sheets against Burundi and Guinea. In the friendly match against Argentina, Akpeyi was actually having a decent game before his faux pas.
Granted: his looks and demeanour neither inspire confidence nor demand respect. But if we can see beyond the mental blockage that these have created in our psyche, then what is left will be a competent goalkeeper.