Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu, has revealed the reason why he was dropped by Clemens Westerhof dropped him from the USA 1994 World Cup squad.
In an interview with The Punch, Shorunmu disclosed that being up against more experienced Eagles goalkeepers like Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu and the late Wilfred Agbonavbare, cost him a place in the team.
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“When I was in the national team as a goalkeeper during our first World Cup, I was part of the team as a goalkeeper alongside AloyAgu, Peter Rufai, and Wilfred Agbonavbare,” Shorunmu said.
“On the final day of the team selection, Westerhof called me. He said, ‘I know you. You are a very good goalkeeper. But what I am looking for in this World Cup is experience. You are still young and have potential. I promise you, if everything should go on well, after the World Cup, I will recall you’.
“This was because Rufai, Aloy and Agbonavbare were more experienced and they were at the peak of their careers then.”
Shorunmu added: “Initially, I was not happy. But when the truth dawned on me, I saw that he was right with the decision to drop me. They were more experienced than I was then and it eventually shaped my career.”
Shorunmu would eventually go on to be Eagles first choice goalkeeper at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea/Japan.
He was in goal for the Eagles in their opening two group games against Argentina and Sweden.
Shorunmu kept in goal for the Eagles at both the 2000 and 2002 African Cup of Nations in Ghana/Nigeria and Mali respectively.
He made his Eagles debut in 1992 and retired after the 2002 FIFA World Cup after making 36 appearances.
At club level, Shorunmu featured for Stationery Stores, Concord, Shooting Stars, Basel, Zurich and Lucerne in Switzerland and Turkish clubs Besiktas and Samsunspor.
Also he served as goalkeeper trainer for the Eagles.
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COMMENTS
oga Ike …u wei below average as a professional goalie!!.
I guess you are referring to shorunmu of your village football and not the one we know. I’m not sure you even watched his games so please don’t hide under your keypad to rubbish the years of meritorious service to his fatherland. Please let’s be guided
Mr Streams was probably born after 2002….allow him rant LOL
Don’t mind that one biko. He must have been typing under some influence. There’s a lot of free booze flying around this period u kno.
An African goalkeeper who had almost a decade of his successful professional career in Europe (including playing in the champions League) playing for top clubs in Switzerland and Turkey like Basel, FC Zurich and Besiktas is what he describes as below average goalie.
Who ever he kept for he was a below par keeper that can’t be compared with great keepers like Peter Rufai, the Okala brothers Emmanuel and Patrick, David Ngodigha and lastly Vincent Enyeama. Like Shorunmu never came close to the guys I have mentioned. They were the best hands we ever had as Super Eagles shot stoppers