Kaizer Chiefs head coach Ernst Middendorp has bemoaned goalkeeping blunders that has affected his team in recent games after Nigeria international Daniel Akpeyi let in a cheap goal in last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Polokwane City, reports Completesports.com.
The Amakhosi’s hopes of resurrecting their title challenge suffered a hitch following yet another disappointing result at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Middeddorp’s side took the lead through a Daniel Cardoso penalty on the 15-minute mark, only to concede six minutes later through goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi’s error between the sticks.
Akpeyi who arrived at the club on transfer deadline day a few weeks ago, committed a howler as he allowed Walter Musona’s shot from distance to creep underneath his hands and body and into goal.
Second choice goalkeeper Virgil Vries was relegated from the playing squad due to similar displays of misjudgement.
As such the German coach has expressed his frustration at the frequent occurrences of such costly mistakes and felt in retrospect that his side basically scored both goals in the match.
“If I had an explanation for why we conceded these [soft] goals against Sundowns, Cape Town City or today again, I would give you an answer,” Middendorp told kick-off. com.
“But this is unexplainable, it’s just irritating and not comfortable for all of us [to deal with]. I think to concede in such a way, I didn’t see any other opportunities for Polokwane City.
“With all due respect, we scored two goals.”
By Adeboye Amosu
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COMMENTS
Akpe the Basket your blood too hot that is your problem. If only you fit calm down relax your pressure you will be a good goal keeper.
Akpeyi! Why are you embarrassing me now?
I praised you on this forum and begged the fans and coach to forgoive your blunders and consider you for the number 1 slot in the Super Eagles. I said it boldly that there was no goal keeping crisis in the SE as long as you are available. But now you have proved me wrong for siding with you!
Why are you so prone to mistakes bro?
That’s Akpeyi’s biggest problem. Little mistakes
Imagine, beaten by a long range shot! I can picture SA football fans “roasting” him in the comment section of kickoff.com and calling his “cow,” “fart,” “druglord import” and all sorts. The coach’s comment is a big no-confidence vote and is capable of further denting his already bruised spirit. Akpeyi’s biggest problem is lack of self-confidence.
Why he struggles for confidence is beyond me. He doesn’t think he’s a good goalkeeper? He’s always afraid of opposing attackers? Questions, questions and more questions. The funny thing is opposing strikers see and smell that fear from a distant. Or what would have given a player at an average team as Polokwane city to lob the ball from a distance?
His very avoidable blunder against Aguerro in the last friendly with Argentina is still fresh. Thank God we won that match, otherwise there would have been no hiding place for him with Nigerian fans. Besides improving his reflexes and agility, Akpeyi needs to hire a personal sports psychologist to work on his confidence. Confidence is half the battle won in any life endeavor.
Bro Kel, the guy suffers from what I want to describe as “a chronic case of indecision syndrome”.
He wants to do too many things at the same time. At the end of the day, he freezes and blunders simple situations thereby messing everything up.
You see, goalkeepers will never get it right all the time. However, for any goalkeeper, making the wrong judgement is far better than dilly-dalling until it is far too late!
And yes, like you said, strikers are well aware of such dilly-dally goalkeepers so they will always try speculative efforts – like the one Walter Masona that Akpeyi leaked over the weekend.
I have said it before, Akpeyi is just like Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomez.
Both are fantastic goalkeepers on their day. However, their propensity for constant errors have come more to define their careers than their actual goalkeeping skills and capabilities.
Both Akpeyi and Gomez, who actually has 11 caps for Brazil, are really good goalkeepers. But I can see why some fans find their constant blunders unforgivable.
See the clip below for some of the shocking goofs of Gomez:
https://youtu.be/5APIFXlFhHY
Akpeyesque…..a performance that is characterized by little blunders with major aftermath.
Akpeyi should please try and up his game, especially his general awareness of his surroundings.I listened to his interview in youtube once…very cool guy, a gentleman. I really like him as a person. However, I can’t afford to have an SE goalkeeper whose presence in our goal raises my blood pressure and anxiety levels. If he makes the necessary adjustments to his game, that would be great!